Composites offer a great stiffness to weight ratio, corrosion resistance and fatigue properties, making them ideal for applications from sports equipment to spacecrafts. However, their vulnerability to damage, like microcracks, can lead to catastrophic failures. This small type of damage can emerge from different sources, from impact to fatigue. The space industry’s shift toward reusability and cost-efficiency emphasizes the need for fast, non-intrusive composite repair solutions. This type of composite repair would help bring down costs from production, post processing and cyclic damage, in the use of a cryo-tank for example.
CompPair develops healable composite semi-products technology (such as prepreg and towpreg) that reduces scraps, extends part lifespan and simplifies maintenance, by enabling ultra-fast (1 minute) healable composite technology for the space industry.
The ability to heal comes from the resin, which, when heated (between 100 and 170°C, below the resin’s glass transition temperature), activates a healing cycle without the need of pressure or a mould, while keeping the part structural.
Indeed, the uniqueness from this healable composite technology relies on the fact that part of the resin remains structural during the healing phase, while the activated part fills the cracks and delaminations to repair them. Such technology is already commercialized in other markets by CompPair but needed to be adapted to respect specifications for space application.
Indeed, the composite processes for space application tends to be more and more automated. That is why, the first material requirement was to be compatible with AFP, as a slit-tape for exemple. Additionally, outgassing properties must meet the standard while the material must exhibit strong mechanical properties and excellent behavior in cold and cryogenic environments. Finally, healing of the material must be effective with a moderate heat trigger.
The aim of this project was to bring this technology for space applications from TRL 1 to 4.
