(180g) Environmentally Friendly Polymers and Composites for Military Applications

Liquid resins used for molding composite structures are a significant source of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions. One method of reducing styrene emissions from vinyl ester (VE) resins is to replace some or all of the styrene with fatty acid-based monomers. Fatty acid monomers are ideal candidates because they are inexpensive, have low volatilities, and promote global sustainability because they are derived from renewable resources. This patent pending technology allows for the formulation of high performance composite resins with no more than 20 wt% styrene. These resins have low viscosities suitable for vacuum infusion methods, and have excellent polymer and composite properties. As a result, these resins are currently being demonstrated/validated for DoD use for Army tactical vehicles, including HMMWV hoods, Marines HMMWV helmet hardtops, Air Force T-38 dorsal covers, and MCM composite rudders for the Navy.