ENCAPSULATED LOW-OUTGASSING COMPOSITE MANUFACTURING WITH POTENTIAL FOR ON-ORBIT DEMONSTRATION

The future of space exploration requires a paradigm shift from deployable pre-manufactured structures to structures that are manufactured and assembled on-orbit. A demonstration of onorbit manufacturing of high stiffness carbon fiber composites is sought. However, space-based composite manufacturing is significantly constrained by launch volume, on-orbit processing energy and equipment, and off-gassing requirements. While others have used on-orbit thermoplastic additive manufacturing, this study investigates the processing and properties of encapsulated thermoset carbon fiber prepreg with the potential for on-orbit manufacturing of composite tubes. Specifically, we infuse catalyzed dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) resin into layered cylindrical carbon fiber preform sleeves, seal and encapsulate the prepregs between compliant and impermeable films, and then mold and cure the prepreg to rapidly produce a thin-walled, high-stiffness composite tubes using a low energy process with low outgassing. We demonstrate the scalability of tube prepreg by infusing a 10-foot long prepreg with industrial partners. Using flat surrogates of the cylindrical laminate, we demonstrate that the prepregs are stable and can be cured quickly (~ 5 minutes) and with only 11 psi (75.8 Kpa) of applied pressure to create composites with high 􀜶􀯚 (155-160°C), low voids (<1%), and low off-gassing (<1%). Initial promise is demonstrated for a future planned space demonstration on the International Space Station (ISS) through “Mission Illinois”.