Breaking New Ground: Structural Composites Applications in Defense, Infrastructure, Transportation, Power Industry and Corrosion Prevention

March 4-6, 2008 - University of Alabama at Birmingham

(Corrosion Prevention Workshop March 4 and Technical Program March 5 - 6)

Table of Contents:

March 4, 2008 - Symposium on the Uses of FRP in Corrosion Control

8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Introduction to Symposium
Mike Stevens, Ashland Inc.

Overview of Uses of FRP to Control Corrosion in Industrial Applications
This presentation will describe typical areas where FRP has been used to control corrosion in many industrial applications in place of steel. Examples will be given for many industries including power, pulp and paper, chemical process, mining, and waste water treatment.
Mike Stevens, Ashland Inc.

Chemistry of Resins Used in Fiberglass Reinforced Plastics
This presentation provides an overview of polymer chemistry associated with unsaturated polyester resins (UPRs) and epoxy vinyl ester resins (EVERs). An understanding of chemistry is not required to appreciate this presentation. A macro view of both synthesis and cure of these resins is presented in a manner that allows fabricators to better problem solve and end users to better evaluate the quality of laminates made from these resins.
Tim Pepper, Ashland Inc.

Veils and Reinforcements for Corrosion Resistant FRP Equipment
This basic overview will be an update on the different types of reinforcements and veils used in the corrosion resistant FRP and Dual Laminates applications, with their properties, chemical resistance and function in several types of laminates. It will also show how these veils and reinforcements are applied in hand lay-up, shop horizontal and vertical field winding processes.
Rafic Moubarac, Experco Composites

Design of FRP and Dual Laminate Tanks per RTP-1
This will be a basic introduction to how the standard is used in the design of FRP and Dual Laminate Tanks. There will be an overview of what design items are covered in the standard, the information required to be exchanged between user and fabricator to achieve the proper design, and a discussion of the value obtained by the user when an ASME RTP-1 code stamped tank is purchased.
Rich Taraborelli, P.E., RT Consultants

2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

FRP Piping and Fitting Design
This paper will review the various FRP piping systems used in industry today including commodity and custom designs. Included will be a review of U.S. and International Standards and Codes for FRP pipe and fittings. The paper will also provide guidelines for successful selection, design, and installation of FRP pipe systems.
Robert Hawkins, RPS

Pipe System Analysis and Support Design
System arrangement, design conditions and FRP material construction can greatly influence the success and reliability of FRP piping. Where design conditions are relatively elevated, how these influences are addressed will determine the level of success. Pipe material properties, piping system arrangement considerations, fittings and pipe support strategy will be discussed.
Jeff Eisenman

Inspection and Maintenance of FRP
This presentation will discuss the importance, requirements and techniques for inspection of new FRP CR equipment prior to acceptance and periodic maintenance inspection while in service. It will review ground rules for QA requirements, documentation and evaluation criteria at the vendors shop, and will detail visual and quantitative methods to evaluate the condition and continued serviceability of existing equipment.
Bill Holtzclaw, Holtec

Simple, But Essential, Requirements for Successful FRP Applications
There are many factors that contribute to the corrosion resistant effectiveness of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) equipment made with thermosetting resins. Simply put, FRP isn't just FRP. The thermosetting resin type, the cure system, the degree of cure, reinforcement types, and the fabricator are all factors to consider. There are a variety of resins available today to handle a wide variety of chemical environments, from organic solvents to 50% caustic solutions, to 98% sulfuric acid. However, no single thermosetting resin will handle every environment. More than a basic knowledge of FRP is required in specifying resin and fabrication requirements. This presentation will provide an overview of the above issues with answers to specific needs.
Terry Cowley, Dupont

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

KEYNOTE - Role of Technology in the Growth of Birmingham and Alabama
Richard Marchase, PhD,
Vice President for Research and Economic Development, University of Alabama at Birmingham

March 5, 2008 - Transportation

8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

A Comprehensive Research Program to Develop Commodity Scale Lower Cost Carbon Fiber
Through Department of Energy (DOE) sponsorship, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and its partners have been working with the US Automotive Composites Consortium (ACC) to develop technologies that would enable the production of a carbon fiber at $5-7 per pound. That cost goal would allow the introduction of carbon fiber based composites into a greater number of applications for future vehicles. The approach has necessitated the development of both alternative precursors and alternative production methods.
Dave Warren, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Fiber Thermoplastic: An Innovative Rail Car Application
New methods in continuous-fiber thermoplastic technology was used for products manufactured in the rail car industry. This presentation will highlight the manufacturing steps used to produce products for this market and the benefits to the end user. It will be presented as to why this continuous-fiber thermoplastic technology could be considered for a sustainable, environmentally-responsible or "green" material product.
Lori Luchak, CCT, President, Miles Fiberglass & Composites, Inc.; Lowell Miles, CCT, CEO, Miles Fiberglass & Composites, Inc.

9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

The Creation of the Automotive Research Alliance
The Automotive Research Alliance was created in response to research, technology and educational needs of the automobile manufacturing industry in the Southeastern United States. In this region, there are over 3,000 automotive suppliers and 10 major assembly plants. This presentation will review the history, basic organization and functions of the Alliance and how the services offered in research and education from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Southern universities help to advance technology.
Benjamin Ritchey, Vice President, Battelle Memorial Institute, Transportation Market Sector

9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Nonwoven Fabrics for Gas Diffusion Layers in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
Materials for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells were developed and evaluated. Gas diffusion layer (GDL) is a part of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) that functions as the locomotive of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). New gas diffusion layer structures are manufactured and characterized for performance in this application.
Sabit Adanur, PhD, Professor, Auburn University, Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering

10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Manufacture and Characterization of Mechanical Properties of Thermoplastic Nanocomposites
This presentation will discuss the manufacture and characterization of the continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic nanocomposites: E-glass reinforced polypropylene (PP) matrix, and E-glass Polyamide (Nylon-6). The mateirals will be compared with and without disperse nanoclay (montmorillonite). Specifically, the pultrusion process was used for the polypropylene nanocomposite, while VARTM was used for the Nylon-6 nanocomposite. The results of thermal and mechanical characterization as well as Transmission Electron Microscopy and Optical Micrography will be presented to show material performance.
Samit Roy, PhD, Professor, University of Alabama, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics

10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Industrial Applications for Carbon Fiber Composites
During the last decade, the use of carbon fibers in non-aerospace applications has steadily increased. These sudden boosts in demand have forced carbon fiber manufacturers to significantly increase their output capacity to meet the high volume required for these new markets. The volumes associated with large industrial applications such as wind energy, automotive, oil-gas and offshore exploration have the potential of making carbon fiber a more competitive product against traditional engineering materials and open the door to a whole new set of applications and processes that were not considered feasible in the past. In this presentation, a review of the technologies and challenges encountered in the large volume applications for carbon fiber composites is presented.
George Husman, Chief Technology Officer, Zoltek Companies, Inc.; Juan Serrano, CCT-A, Zoltek Companies, Inc.

11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Thermoplastic Composite Technologies for Mass Transit and Light Rail
Thermoplastic composite materials and manufacturing technologies are being developed for use in mass transit applications for weight and cost reduction. The presentation will feature applications developed by the UAB research teams in lightweight, cost-effective thermoplastic composite technologies for access doors, floor, side body and internal components of mass transit buses and light rail.
Uday Vaidya, PhD, Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Brian Pillay, PhD, Research Associate, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Materials Science and Engineering

March 5, 2008 - Military

1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

A Collaborative Approach in the Development of Mass-Efficient Warfighter Materials
Shawn Walsh, PhD, Army Research Laboratory

2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Modular Ballistic Protection System
The Modular Ballistic Protection System (MBPS) is a ballistic panel and attachment system that protects soldiers in tents and rigid walled shelters. Possessing ballistic protection against small arms and fragmentation while withstanding associated blast overpressure, the MBPS improves expeditionary survivability by providing rapidly deployable ballistic protection to highly mobile units. Important development considerations include dynamic response, penetration mechanics, and human factors.
Habib Dagher, PhD, PE, Director, University of Maine, Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center

2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Thermoplastic Composites Improve the Cost Performance of Ballistic Panels
Composite materials have proven to be effective light-weight solutions for ballistic panels for the last 25 years. Composites used in conjunction with ceramics and high-hardness steels have performed well, and in the last 10 years, there has been an increased interest in higher performance composites. Thermoplastic composites have simplified the manufacturing process requiring no special storage, no VOCs, easier processing and efficient hybridization of fiber types and provide soloutions in ballistic applications.
Ed Pilpel, President, Polystrand

3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Use of Aluminum Foam for Blast Mitigation
A series of containers were designed and built using aluminum foam and S-2 glass/phenolic composites, with the goal of providing a means of transport for fuses or other small a.m.ounts of high explosives. A model of the explosive behavior of these composites was devised using LSDyna.
Dana Grow, PhD, Manager, Research & Development, Sioux Manufacturing

3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Composite Structures for Army Missile and Aviation Applications
This session will discuss current efforts in composite structures and materials at the US Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center located on Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. Topics for discussion will include composite structure development efforts for current systems and technology development programs. Research areas in composite materials and future requirements for army systems will also be identified.
Bob Evans, Chief, Aerospace Materials Function, Redstone Arsenal

4:00 p.m. - 4:20 p.m.

Computational Modeling of Composites for Impact and Blast Loading
Numerical Modeling of composite materials under impact and blast loading conditions is a problem filled with broad challenges in analytical and computational methods and material model development. Constitutive equations must be comprehensive in their description of material behavior, accounting for a wide variety of deformation and failure mechanisms such as dela.m.ination, fiber pull-out, matrix void growth and coalescence, and fiber breakage. Coupling of material behavior at the microscale to the system-level response of the structure requires multi-scale analysis. Numerical techniques that accurately and efficiently couple the blast and impact to the response of the composite must be developed. The purpose of this session is to provide a forum for presentation of advances in computational methods for addressing this problem, was well as the utilization of these techniques in engineering applications involving impact and blast loading.
David Littlefield, PhD, Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Mechanical Engineering

4:20 p.m. - 4:40 p.m.

Use of Polymeric Materials for Protective Structures Applications
This presentation will provide an overview of research being conducted by the Airbase Technologies Division, Air Force Research Laboratory on defining the blast-load resistance of various polymer reinforced and foam insulated concrete wall forms. Full-scale dynamic testing, modeling and simulation approaches, and the development of engineering-level models will be discussed.
Jim Davidson, PhD, Associate Professor, Auburn University, Department of Civil Engineering; Robert Dinan, PhD, Senior Research Engineer, Branch Air Force Research Laboratory, AFRL/MLQF

4:40 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Advanced Composite Materials for Enhanced Warfighter Survivability and Mobility; the Current and Future Roll of Composites in Protective Materials
The use of composite structures has increased the survival rate of war fighters. The mobility of modern aircraft has also been dramatically improved through application of composites. The current and future role of composites as protective materials will be explored in conjunction with the response/failure of composites subjected to ballistic impact for products used in miliatry applications.
Shane Bartus, PhD, Guest Researcher (ORISE), U.S. Army Research Laboratory

March 6, 2008 - Infrastructure / Power Industry

8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

Use of FRP in the Power Industry - A Utility Perspective
The use of FRP in the power industry has increased dramatically in the last several years as U.S. electric utilities move to meet the sulfur dioxide compliance requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean Air Interstate Rule. Common FRP applications for scrubber construction include chimney liners, tanks, piping, scrubber vessels, scrubber internals, and ductwork. The experience to date of the Southern Company will be discussed.
George Jones, Principal Engineer, The Southern Company

8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

A Get In & Get Out Products for Reinforced Concrete Bridge Decks
Bridge owners need solutions to rapidly build long lasting bridges. One of the most time consuming and labor intensive parts of bridge construction is installing steel rebar and form work to pour the concrete deck. This results in extended bridge closures, rerouted traffic, and more exposure to work site injuries due to longer construction times. Shop fabricated stay-in-place FRP reinforcing panels take advantage of composites high strength, light weight, rust resistance, and easy installation to produce safe and durable bridge decks in approximately one fourth the time of conventional poured in place steel reinforced concrete decks systems. A history of the product development as well as a case history in Missouri is presented.
Glenn Barefoot, Corporate Marketing Manager, Strongwell

9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

TBD
Giuseppe Palmese, PhD, Professor and Department Head, Drexel University

9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Meaning and Measurement of the HDB’s and Regression Lines for Composite Pipes
The structural life of composite pipes can be predicted from their cyclic and static regression lines. The determination of these regression lines is a time consuming and costly procedure that hinders the acceptance of composite pipes. This paper introduces a new, accurate, simple and inexpensive test method to determine the regression lines and the HDBs of composites. The paper will show that the current test methods used to measure the static and cyclic regression lines, ASTM D 2992 procedures A and B, should be modified to test pultruded rods or UD laminate, instead of pipes. This new approach should go a long way in furthering the understanding and acceptance of composite pipes in infra structure applications.
Antonio Carvalho, Reichhold, Inc.

10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Innovative Manufacturing Process Provides New Life for Aging Pipelines
This presentation describes an innovative product and manufacturing process designed to permit restoration of degraded pipelines. The product is Smart Pipe® - a full-strength reinforced thermoplastic pipe produced in-situ and in continuous lengths of up to 10 miles. Smart Pipe is designed to be pulled into degraded pipelines using a fold and form technology to restore the pipeline to original capabilities or greater capability awhile providing greater corrosion resistance. The presentation will include discussion of the materials of construction and the supporting materials and equipment necessary to support in-situ manufacture and installation.
William (Bill) Stringfellow, PE, Consulting Engineer, GLASTEK Tubular Services

10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

An Innovative Fabrication Method Eliminating In-Situ Winding for FRP Chimney Liners
Currently most FRP chimney liners are fabricated on site requiring the erection of a temporary fabrication facility with a large winding station and many manufacturing support structures. Using this manufacturing approach requires a large staff of workers. This presentation will introduce a novel technology that uses mechanically joined elements to form the liner cans that make the chimney liner. By using this proprietary bolt and fastener design for can joining, the labor associated with this manufacturing process is minimized.
Rich Lewandowski, Consultant, Corrosion Resistant Composites

11:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.

Preforming Processes for Structural Preforms
This presentatation is focused on current preforming technologies used for structural composites applications where the molding process is RTM or one of the many variations available for infusing the resin into the preform. The pros and cons of each manfacturing process will be discussed, along with material conformability selection criteria with respect to preforming and how this influences the product performance.
Daniel Buckley, Manager of R&D, American GFM

11:20 a.m. - 11:40 a.m.

Intumescent Mats: An Effective Means of Providing Fire Protection
This presentation will focus on the processing of intumescent mats and how they are used in fire protection applications. Attendees will learn about fire resistance and low smoke emissions from the use of these materials by presenting flame-spread data.
Dan Frechette, Technical Fibre Products, Inc.

11:40 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Testing of Fiber Reinforced Composites
Fiber reinforced polymer composites are inherently anisotropic, making their mechanical testing complex. In this presentation, important mechanical tests for obtaining tensile, compressive, in-plane shear, flexural, and interlaminar shear characteristics will be covered and its importance in specifiying composites.
Krish Chawla, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Materials and Mechanical Engineering

March 6, 2008 - Emerging Technologies

2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

The Future of Structures: 2030 and Beyond
Historically, the history of man and structures has been closely coupled with materials development such as the Iron Age. In the same spirit, the three "O" technologies of nano, info and bio will impact future structures technology. We can now envision an emerging future in which we move from materials engineering to engineered materials. What does this mean for the future of structures? Only our imagination is our limit. This presentation will demonstrate how engineered materials will impact these technologies.
Robert Sierakowski, PhD, Chief Scientist, AFRL/RW, Air Force Research Lab Munitions Directorate

2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Nanocomposites: Opportunities and Challenges
Nanomaterials can be incorporated into polymers with or without fiber reinforcements to create new composites with enhanced thermal, mechanical, electrical, barrier, or self-cleaning properties. This talk will discuss the current successes in polymer nanocomposites, the challenges of developing new nanocomposites and the broad range of opportunities for these systems.
Virginia Davis, PhD, Assistant Professor, Auburn University, Department of Chemical Engineering

3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Overview of E-Glass Sizing Technology, Applications, and Glass Converting Techniques
An overview of E-glass fiber manufacturing techniques and a highlight of the generic chemical composition and functionality of glass sizings. An overview of roving handling techniques and the conversion of glass fiber into woven, stitched, and needled products will be presented along with a selection process for optimum translation of mechanical properties as related to end process techniques.
Bob Brannon, PhD, Technical Director, Fiber Division, Fiber Glass Industries; Rich Caruso, Director Advanced Materials Engineering, Fiber Glass Industries

3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Large Infused FRP Parts for Structurally Demanding Infrastructure Applications
Structurally demanding infrastructure applications can be cost-effectively manufactured using infusion molding. Using an innovative combination of processes and materials, Composite Advantage manufactures large FRP structures that are optimized to efficiently meet requirements. Bridges are a visible application, and derivatives of the same technology include walls, floors, equipment pads, and roofs.
Scott Reeve, President, Composite Advantage

4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Continuous and Discontinuous Fiber Reinforced Plastics: Properties, Applications, and New Developments
Thermoplastic composites offer a wide array of unique opportunities and challenges to design and manufacturing of structural and conductive components. A growing range of commercially available long fiber thermoplastic (LFT) pellets and choppted fiber thermoplastic (CFT) unidirectional tapes and related processing methods are expanding the ability of engineers to take advantage of the properties and meet the challenges. This session will discuss the evolution of thermoplastic composite compositions, forms, processing methods and applications and highlight some of the recent advancements.
Tom Heyer, Ticona, Inc.

4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Durable Functional Coloring for High Strength Materials
High performance inorganic pigments, also known as complex inorganic colored pigments (CICP), or mixed metal oxide (MMO) pigments, are an extraordinary class of transition metal oxide materials that offer stable, long-lived color for a multitude of applications. They have high temperature stability (>800oC), are chemically inert, insoluble, and resistant to bleeding or migration. They are generally opaque, lightfast, and weather well. High performance inorganic pigments are ideal for outdoor applications due to their outstanding durability. Careful use of infrared reflecting pigments in the design of products enable cool colorful outdoor surfaces.
Kathryn Brannon, Shepherd Color Company

5:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Incubation Support for Light Weight Materials Development
The National Composite Center (NCC), a 10- year-old non profit enterprise, exists to incubate new technologies and companies in the field of advanced composite materials and manufacturing. This presentation will provide examples of how the NCC model has assisted large and small companies alike in transitioning new light-weight materials into commercial products.
Lou Luedtke, President & CEO, National Composite Center