Composite Laminate Resin Pooling Defect Strength Reduction Quantification

Composite materials have long been used in rotorcraft structural applications due to their high strength-to-weight ratio. However, they can also be prone to unique types of defects such as resin pooling, porosity, and delamination which can impact their structural performance. Resin pooling can occur when excess resin accumulates in certain areas of the composite laminate. This paper presents a method of finite element analysis to quantify the effect of the resin lens on the structural strength of a specific laminate. This method was used to successfully validate the structural integrity of several composite torque tubes with resin-rich indications, which were initially rejected at inspection.