UpDate - Vol. 11, No. 17, Page 3
January 23, 1992
Composites center; Industrial assistance benefits research group

     The Center for Composite Materials last month received an
early Christmas gift from industry--almost two tons of materials
for use in its engineering research programs.
     The St. Louis-based McDonnell Douglas Co. shipped more than
3,800 pounds of carbon/epoxy, glass/epoxy and quartz/epoxy
"prepreg," valued at almost $120,000 and manufactured by Hercules
Advanced Materials & Systems Co.
     Prepregs are intermediate product forms consisting of
continuous fibers impregnated with a synthetic resin. They usually
are supplied in continuous rolls of tape up to 1 meter (39.37
inches) in width and can be used in such on-line fabrication
methods as filament winding and pultrusion."Prepregs remain one of
the dominant material forms," according to Roy L. McCullough,
center director. "McDonnell Douglas' donation to the center is
generous, and we're delighted to be the recipient of this valuable
gift."
     Packing, shipping and receiving the tapes presented some
challenges, Karl Steiner, assistant director of the center, said.
Prepregs normally are shipped in sealed polyethylene bags, packed
in insulated containers with dry-ice refrigeration. Although they
can be held at room temperature for short periods of time, they
must be kept in low-temperature storage to avoid their becoming
stiff and "boardy."
     Finding enough freezer space on campus to store five skids of
tapes was no simple matter. "We were lucky that the materials
arrived in December," Steiner said, "so we were able to keep them
outside for a short time."
     Industrial support is not new to the Center for Composite
Materials. For example, in 1988, the center consolidated its
research equipment and personnel in a 34,000-square-foot,
state-of-the-art Composites Manufacturing Science Lab, built with
funding from ICI Americas and the state of Delaware.
     The center also receives a large share of its financial
support from a University/Industry Research Consortium,
Applications of Composite Materials to Industrial Products.
Established in 1978, the consortium draws its members from the
automotive, aerospace and consumer products industries.
     Additional funds come from the Graduate Student Fellowship
Program, established last year in response to interest from the
small-business community. This program is a limited-benefits
organization for smaller composites-related companies, and three
Delaware companies--Atlantic Aviation, ILC Dover and Waibel
Technical Computing--are charter members.
     In addition to these two consortium programs and direct
support for targeted research through industrial contracts and
grants, the center has received a number of other materials and
equipment donations during the past year:
     * The Du Pont Co. donated almost 900 pounds of Kevlar, glass
ceramic, graphite, Teflon and polymer fibers. Like the materials
donated by McDonnell Douglas, the Du Pont fibers will be used in
the center's fundamental and manufacturing science research
programs.
     * A thermoformer is on indefinite loan from ICI as a research
tool. Used in the forming of flat sheet feedstock, the thermoformer
can operate at temperatures of up 800 degrees F. According to
Anthony J. Smiley, a visiting research associate from ICI Composite
Structures, the equipment can be used in matched die or pressure
forming. The computer-controlled device enables center researchers
to study the forming characteristics of thermoplastic polymer-based
composite materials. In addition to donating the equipment, ICI has
arranged for Smiley to spend 50 percent of his time at the center,
facilitating technology transfer from the University to the
company.
     * The center's tabletop prepreg unit, built by Quadrax
Engineering, was donated by AT&T. It comprises a two-axis winder,
an ultrasonic temperature-regulated resin bath for thermoset and
solvent-based thermoplastic resins and a compaction station. The
prepreg unit is used to study the effects of prepreg quality on the
performance of filament-wound composites.
     "This latest donation, the McDonnell Douglas materials,
demonstrates the extent and variety of support we get from the
private sector," Jack Gillespie, center associate director,
said."We have developed a variety of mechanisms for interacting
with industry and are very pleased that we have received such
generous gifts from these companies," he said.