Co-cured UV-resistant fiberglass coated composite material for aircraft wing fuel tank assembly
Composite material protection from UV degradation is disclosed by providing a co-cured composite material substrate co-cured with a UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer to form co-cured composite materials for exclusively imparting UV/visible light-resistant properties to co-cured composite material substrates for use in UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assemblies.
1 . A co-curable composite material assembly for a co-curable vehicle fuel tank, the co-curable composite material assembly comprising:
a co-curable UV/visible light-resistant composite material substrate assembly consisting of:
a co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate, said co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate comprising a co-curable composite material substrate first side and a co-curable composite material substrate second side;
a co-curable UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer, said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer comprising a co-curable UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer first side and a co-curable UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer second side, only said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer configured to be in immediate contact with at least one of the co-curable composite material substrate first side and the co-curable composite material substrate second side, said co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate in combination with the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer configured to form the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant composite material substrate assembly, said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer exclusively imparting 100% of a degree of UV/visible light protection imparted to the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant composite material substrate assembly, said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant composite material substrate assembly configured to form a co-cured vehicle fuel tank assembly in a co-cured state, said co-cured vehicle fuel tank assembly comprising:
a vehicle fuel tank inner surface;
a vehicle fuel tank cavity, said vehicle fuel tank cavity defined by the vehicle fuel tank inner surface;
wherein said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer has a UV/visible light transmittance value of 0% to about 20% for UV/visible light wavelengths ranging from about 200 nm to about 800 nm when the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer comprises an average thickness ranging from about 2 mils to about 6 mils;
wherein said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer is configured to completely cover said co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate;
wherein the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer alone is solely responsible for imparting the selected degree of UV/visible light-resistance and UV/visible light protection to the underlying co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate; and
wherein inclusion of the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer in the co-cured state in the co-cured composite material vehicle fuel tank assembly obviates the need for the presence of at least one of a UV/visible light-absorbing detail primer layer and a UV/visible light-absorbing paint layer in the co-cured composite material vehicle fuel tank assembly.
2 . The co-curable composite material of claim 1 , wherein the co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate is co-curable with the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass-containing coating layer at a temperature ranging from about 250° F. to about 370° F.
3 . The co-curable composite material of claim 1 , wherein the co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate comprises an epoxy resin-based matrix.
4 . The co-curable composite material of claim 1 , wherein the co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate comprises a fiber reinforced epoxy resin-based matrix comprising at least one of carbon fibers, boron fibers, aramid fibers, fiberglass fibers, polyester fibers, and combinations thereof.
5 . The co-curable composite material of claim 1 , wherein the co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate comprises a carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite material.
6 . The co-curable composite material of claim 1 , wherein the co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate comprises at least one carbon fiber reinforced polymer prepreg.
7 . A co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly comprising:
a co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material assembly consisting of:
a co-cured epoxy resin-based composite material substrate, said co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly further comprising a vehicle fuel tank inner surface, said vehicle fuel tank inner surface comprising:
a co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer, said co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer in direct contact with the co-cured epoxy resin-based composite material substrate, said co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer configured to completely cover the co-cured epoxy resin-based composite material substrate;
a vehicle fuel tank cavity, said vehicle fuel tank cavity defined by the vehicle fuel tank inner surface;
wherein the co-cured epoxy resin-based composite material substrate and the co-cured UV-resistant fiberglass layer are co-cured in a co-curing regimen to form the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly, said co-curing regimen comprising a co-curing temperature ranging from about 250° F. to about 370° F.;
wherein the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer has a UV/visible light transmittance value of 0% to about 20% for UV/visible light wavelengths ranging from about 200 nm to about 800 nm when the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer comprises an average thickness ranging from about 2 mils to about 6 mils;
wherein the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer alone is solely responsible for imparting the selected degree of UV/visible light-resistance and UV/visible light protection to the underlying co-cured epoxy resin-based composite material substrate; and
wherein inclusion of the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer in the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly obviates the need for the presence of at least one of a UV/visible light-absorbing detail primer layer and a UV/visible light-absorbing paint layer in the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material vehicle fuel tank assembly.
8 . The co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly of claim 7 , wherein the co-cured epoxy resin-based composite material substrate comprises an epoxy resin-based matrix.
9 . The co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly of claim 7 , wherein the co-cured epoxy resin-based composite material substrate comprises a fiber reinforced epoxy resin-based matrix comprising at least one of carbon fibers, boron fibers, aramid fibers, fiberglass fibers, polyester fibers, and combinations thereof.
10 . The co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly of claim 7 , wherein the co-cured epoxy resin-based composite material substrate comprises a carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite material.
11 . The co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly of claim 7 , wherein the co-cured epoxy resin-based composite material substrate comprises at least one carbon fiber reinforced polymer prepreg.
12 . The co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly claim 7 , wherein the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer is configured to form the vehicle fuel tank inner surface.
13 . The co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a fuel tank primer layer disposed to cover the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer, said vehicle fuel tank inner surface defined by the fuel tank primer layer.
14 . An aircraft wing assembly comprising the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly of claim 7 .
15 . A vehicle comprising the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly of claim 7 .
16 . A vehicle comprising the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly of claim 15 , wherein the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of:
a crewed aircraft, an uncrewed aircraft, a crewed spacecraft, an uncrewed spacecraft, a crewed rotorcraft, an uncrewed rotorcraft, a crewed terrestrial vehicle, an uncrewed terrestrial vehicle; a crewed surface water borne vehicle, an uncrewed waterborne vehicle, a crewed sub-surface water borne vehicle, an uncrewed sub-surface water borne vehicle, a satellite, and combinations thereof.
17 . A method for forming a co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material vehicle fuel tank assembly, the method comprising:
providing a co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate, said co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate comprising a co-curable composite material substrate first side and a co-curable composite material substrate second side;
applying a co-curable UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer onto said co-curable composite material substrate second side, said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer applied onto the co-curable composite material substrate second side at an average thickness ranging from about 2 mils to about 6 mils; and
co-curing the co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate with the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer to form the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material vehicle fuel tank assembly, said co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material vehicle fuel tank assembly comprising a co-cured vehicle fuel tank assembly inner surface, said co-cured vehicle fuel tank assembly inner surface consisting of a co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer having a UV/visible light transmittance value of 0% to about 20% for UV/visible light wavelengths ranging from about 200 nm to about 800 nm when the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer comprises an average thickness ranging from about 2 mils to about 6 mils, said co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer configured to define a vehicle fuel tank cavity;
wherein the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer alone is solely responsible for imparting the selected degree of UV/visible light-resistance and UV/visible light protection to the underlying co-cured epoxy resin-based composite material substrate; and
wherein inclusion of the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer in the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material vehicle fuel tank assembly obviates the need for the presence of at least one of a UV/visible light-absorbing detail primer layer and a UV/visible light-absorbing paint layer in the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material vehicle fuel tank assembly.
18 . The method of claim 17 wherein the co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate comprises a fiber reinforced epoxy resin-based matrix comprising at least one of carbon fibers, boron fibers, aramid fibers, fiberglass fibers, polyester fibers, and combinations thereof.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate comprises a carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite material.
20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising applying a fuel tank primer layer on the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer.