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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/S33970/01
Title: DARP: Composite bonded repairs for resin infused structures: strength and fatigue performance
Principal Investigator: Falzon, Professor BG
Other Investigators:
Soutis, Professor C Hodgkinson, Dr JM
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
BAE Systems QinetiQ
Department: Aeronautics
Organisation: Imperial College London
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 17 February 2004 Ends: 16 August 2007 Value (£): 182,973
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials testing & eng.
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Aerospace, Defence and Marine
Related Grants:
GR/S33994/01 GR/S33956/01 GR/S33932/01 GR/S43917/01
GR/S31549/01 GR/S33963/01
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Design methods for adhesively bonded joints and repairs of RTM composites require theoretical models to predict both strength and durability. Although analytical and experimental work has been reported on the static strength of bonded composites, little information is available on their fatigue behaviour. Also, most of these studies examined hot-setting adhesives. Cold-setting (epoxy and acrylic based) adhesives have been available for too short a time for their long term mechanical behaviour to have been assessed. It is clearly desirable to characterise the durability of such repairs with a view to their being given a 'permanent' status. With the introduction of low temperature cure (20-60 C), high temperature end-use pre-preg and adhesive film resins this can become a practical possibility. Subject to validation these adhesive films are ideal candidates for practical low cost repairs to existing composite structures and offer the potential for the low cost composite airframes of the future.The proposed work will address some of the basic engineering science issues involved in characterising the static strength and fatigue life of patch repairs of RTM composite structures bonded with low temperature cure adhesives. Repair quality will be assessed with C-scanning, X-ray radiography and vibration testing. The study will include uniaxial compression since this loading mode is more severe than the tensile mode due to instability of delaminated plies and fibre waviness that may introduce premature instability of the axial plies.
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Organisation Website: http://www.imperial.ac.uk