Materials, Process and CAE Tools Developments for Pre-impregnated Carbon Binder Yarn Preform Composites

Project Information

PRECARBI

Grant agreement ID: 30848

Start date 1 September 2006

End date 31 August 2009

Funded under

• Aeronautics and Space: thematic priority 4 under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006.

Total cost € 3 882 670,00

EU contribution € 2 328 375,00

Coordinated by

ENGINEERING SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Germany

Objective

Composites are the material of choice for many advanced aircraft structural applications (A380 28% and Boeing 787 50% content) and have proven weight/performance superiority over metals. The critical issues today are performance improvements, development of faster, more cost effective manufacturing and simulation tools to optimise their manufacture and design. Today manufacture of advanced composites uses either layers of pre-impregnated plies (prepregs) to form a laminate, or resin infusion of dry textiles (Liquid Composite Moulding LCM). Prepreg composites give superior mechanical properties due to toughened resins well dispersed in a carefully controlled fabric architecture, but suffer from high material costs, limited shapeability, complex/expensive manufacturing and limited shelf life. LCM technologies can overcome many limitations, but must use low viscosity resins for infusion and suffer from fiber misalignments due to textile patterns, both of which lead to poorer mechanical performance intolerable for many structural aircraft applications. The PreCarBi project will develop new materials (carbon fibers and liquid resins) as well as supporting technologies, already proven on a laboratory scale, that bring together prepreg and LCM technologies to combine the advantages of each. Essentially pre-impregnated carbon fibers with a polymer binder formulation are developed for LCM and tow placement processes. Activation (e.g. heat, microwave, ultrasound) allows binder yarns to be (repeatedly) shaped prior to resin infusion. The binder yarns enhance mechanical properties, due to their formulation and ability to eliminate fibre waviness; also, they have indefinite shelf life, improve pre-form handling/trimming and drapeability. The combination of superior performance and cost effective manufacture will ensure composites growth in future aircrafts leading to improved performance, greater payloads and fuel/emissions reductions.

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › materials engineering › fibers
• engineering and technology › mechanical engineering › vehicle engineering › aerospace engineering › aircraft
• engineering and technology › mechanical engineering › vehicle engineering › automotive engineering
• engineering and technology › mechanical engineering › vehicle engineering › aerospace engineering › aeronautical engineering
• engineering and technology › materials engineering › composites › carbon fibers

Programme(s)

• FP6-AEROSPACE - Aeronautics and Space: thematic priority 4 under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006.

Topic(s)

• AERO-1.1 - Strengthening competitiveness

Call for proposal

FP6-2005-AERO-1
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

STREP - Specific Targeted Research Project

Coordinator

ENGINEERING SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL GMBH

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: Mergenthalerallee 15-21 ; ESCHBORN ; Germany
• Total cost: No data

Participants (12)

AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH

Germany

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: Kreetslag 10 ; 950109 HAMBURG
• Total cost: No data

AIRBUS OPERATIONS SL

Spain

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: Po John Lennon s/n ; GETAFE
• Total cost: No data

EUROCOPTER DEUTSCHLAND GMBH

Germany

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: WILLY-MESSERSCHMITT-STR., TOR 1 ; MUNICH
• Total cost: No data

ESI GROUP

France

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: 6, RUE DE L'AMIRAL HAMELIN ; PARIS
• Total cost: No data

FISCHER ADVANCED COMPOSITE COMPONENTS AG

Austria

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: FISCHERSTRASSE 9 ; RIED/INNKREIS
• Total cost: No data

SWEREA SICOMP AB

Sweden

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: Box 271 PITEÅ
• Total cost: No data

SIGMATEX (UK) LTD

United Kingdom

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: C/0 Spanset Limited, Middlewich Business Park ; MIDDLEWICH
• Total cost: No data

TOHO TENAX EUROPE GMBH

Germany

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: KASINOSTRASSE 19-21 ; WUPPERTAL
• Total cost: No data

UNIVERSITY OF LATVIA, INSTITUTE OF POLYMER MECHANICS

Latvia

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: AIZKRAUKLES 23 ; RIGA
• Total cost: No data

HUNTSMAN ADVANCED MATERIALS

Switzerland

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: KLYBECKSTRASSE 200 ; BASEL
• Total cost: No data

LABORATORY OF TECHNOLOGY AND STRENGTH OF MATERIALS - UNIVERSITY OF PATRAS

Greece

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: Panepistimioupolis Rion ; PATRAS
• Total cost: No data

CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY

United Kingdom

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, Building 61 ; CRANFIELD
• Total cost: No data