What is it about?
This research describes how thin composite materials with carbon fiber and thermoplastic matrix can be manufactured and implemented in a coilable space structure for technologies for future space exploration. The investigation shows how both numerical and experimental models can be used to infer the optimal design structure.
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Why is it important?
Current trends in composite materials indicate that thermoplastic polymers are becoming more important for their ability to be reprocessed and recycled. This research takes a step toward implementing these materials in the niche field of deployable space structures.
Perspectives
This research shows the validation of numerical models through real-life experiments, and also presents a number of different experimental techniques to evaluate a novel manufacturing process.
Federico Benazzo
California Institute of Technology
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Design and Manufacturing of Ultra-Thin Thermoplastic Composites for Coilable Longerons, January 2025, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA),
DOI: 10.2514/6.2025-0188.
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