Abstract
There are many adhesives and resins available for repair of composite aircraft structures. The selection of repair materials is based on several requirements, including the type of structure being repaired, structural loads, thermal stability, and process limitations of the material and structure. The Navy's requirement for performing repair actions at remote locations has placed a number of additional constraints on materials being developed for repair applications. Specifically, Navy field repair requirements impose the need for materials that are storable at ambient temperatures, processable with vacuum bag/heat blanket repair equipment, similar in mechanical properties to production materials, and compatible with field-level maintenance personnel capabilities and training. Developmental efforts at the Naval Air Warfare Center supporting naval aircraft in the fleet led to the evaluation of several materials for repair of complex shaped graphite/epoxy structures. The repair applications include structural bonding, wet lay-up patches, honeycomb core splicing, back side sealing, and filling small scratches. A series of materials supplied by Magnolia Plastics, including Magnobond 6362, 6367, 6371, 6391, 6392, 6396 and 6398, was tested to determine compatibility with repair procedures, mechanical strength, and thermal stability in an 820C (180'F) hot-wet environment. Results of the evaluation and potential applications for the materials are presented.