Interlayer particle toughened carbon fibre composites play an integral role in the lightweight design of
primary aerospace structures. We investigate an out-of-autoclave method using double vacuum debulking (DVD) to perform in-situ soft patch repairs. Utilizing the DVD process decreases the porosity of the cocured
film adhesive and patch from 4.7% to 0.4%, thereby increasing the flexural and interlaminar shear
strength of 1D repair laminates by 30% to levels equal to autoclave cured laminates. In contrast, the
higher void content did not significantly affect straight (2D) and round (3D) scarf repair strengths. 3D
repairs showed significantly improved strength recovery compared to 2D repairs due to the stress shedding
in the hoop direction. Finally, DVD process parameters may be optimized to reduce repair time by
increasing the temperature and ramp rates while reducing the soak times, with no detrimental effects on
porosity or strength observed.
License type:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Funding Info:
This research was funded by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A⁄STAR), Singapore (SERC Grant no. 112 155 0819).