New Material Development - AUSPREG UV^TM

Problem:

The Specialty Group (located in Moorabbin, Australia) approached CRC-ACS with a plan to manufacture prepregs. At the time no prepregs were manufactured in Australia.

Approach:

CRC-ACS, working closely with Specialty Group and participants Monash University and RMIT, developed an innovative range of polyester and vinylester prepregs designed to be cured, not by heat, but by UV light.

Solution:

The CRC-ACS team established desired prepreg processing characteristics such as drape characteristics and surface tackiness, and assisted Specialty Group to optimise aspects of the manufacturing process such as fabric infiltration, fibre wetting and B-staging level, for prepregs with different reinforcement architectures. The mechanical performance and appropriate test requirements for such prepregs were established. The requirements for UV curing were explored, available equipment was sourced, and curing process requirements established for various laminate, tooling and bagging material configurations – along with the likely limits to applicability of the product. Finally, full-scale demonstrator components were made to confirm product acceptability.

Outcomes:

The AUSPREG UV™ product was introduced in 2006, by a new company, Australian Composites Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Specialty Group set up for this purpose. The prepreg can be stored for at least a year without refrigeration and shipped in standard shipping containers. Australian Composites have since developed a range of different UV curable prepreg systems for different applications including anti-corrosion, repair and ballistic protection.

ACS Australia was established in 2008 by the Cooperative Research Centre for Advanced Composite Structures (CRC-ACS) for commercialisation of the expertise and technologies developed by CRC-ACS. All ACS Australia staff also work within CRC-ACS.