Wet-Filament Wound Cyanate Ester Resin Composites

Barbara Frame and Jim Hansen

 

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is conducting programs to develop high-strength, hoop-wound composites by the wet-filament winding method using carbon fiber and cyanate ester resins as the constituent materials. Cyanate ester (or polycyanate) resins offer advantages as composite matrices because of their low outgassing, low water absorption, radiation resistance and high thermal stability (>450 degrees F glass transition temperatures). High carbon fiber volume fraction (~80%) cylinders have been successfully manufactured with ORNL methods in sizes up to 1-inch wall thickness and 24-inch diameter. Hoop tensile strengths of up to 700 ksi have been realized in combination with transverse properties that are exceptional for these high fiber fraction composites. Potential applications for these materials include high-speed rotating composite hardware and flywheel systems for space.