M-RECT

Title: Multiscale reinforcement of semi-crystalline thermoplastic sheets and honeycombs

Duration: 2010-2014

Funding: EC, 7th Framework

Partners: VICTREX (VICTREX plc.) UK, IMMG (IMMG SA) GR,  EADS IWF (EADS Innovation Works) FR, POLYMADE (Polymade ITT GmbH) DE, NANOZAR (Nanozar S.L.) ES, USFD (University of Sheffield) UK, NTUA (National Technical University of Athens) GR, UNIVBRIS (University of Bristol) UK, BAM (BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing) DE, BUILDAIR (Buildair Ingeniería & Arquitectura S.A.) ES, CIMNE (International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering) ES, AVL (AVL LIST GmbH) AT, ASTRIUM SAS (EADS-Astrium Satellites) FR, VOLVO (VOLVO Technology Corporation) SE, FIBROLINE (Fibroline) FR, KUL (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) BE, TENCATE (TenCate Advanced Composites BV) NL, CAM (University of Cambridge) UK, VAMPTECH (Vamp-Tech Spa)

Description: The M-RECT project aims to create multiscale – reinforced semi-crystalline thermoplastics, which will outperform all reinforced polymers in terms of strength, stiffness and mainly damping, by developing and upscaling state of the art production procedures, within cost-efficient manufacturing routes. The project seeks, primarily, to develop a generic technology for production, modelling and design of high performance, light weight reinforced thermoplastics. The selected semi-crystalline thermoplastics are the Poly-Ether-Ether-Ketone (PEEK) and Poly-Phenylene-Sulphide (PPS). The envisaged multiscale reinforcement will comprise of disentangled-dispersed-straightened-aligned to polymer molecules multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and also fully impregnated long carbon fibres.

The work of CMG: KULeuven performs extensive experimental program on multi-level damage tolerance assesment. The damage is studied on three structural scales: structure-to-laminate, laminate-to-fibres, and fibre-to-CNT. The experimens include various static and fatigue tests instrumented with acoustic emission, strain mapping and accompanied by post-mortem study by means of optical microscopy, SEM, and TEM. 

People involved in the project: prof. S.V.Lomov, Dr. D.S. Ivanov, Dr. L.Gorbatikh

Contact: Stepan Lomov