Cost Renewable Resin for Pultruded Products |
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Status | |
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Sequential Number | R15 |
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Identification Number | R-5-38017 |
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Matching Research Agency | Manufacturing Research and Training Center (MRTC) |
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Principal Investigator | K. Chandrashekhara, Professor
Mechanical & Aerospace & Engineering Mechanics
University of Missouri-Rolla
122-A ME Annex
Rolla, MO 65409 | | p | (573) 341-4587 | | f | (573) 341-4607 | | chandra@mst.edu |
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Student Involvement | Two (2) graduate students |
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Project Objective | Two of the major cost drivers for composites are labor and raw materials. Labor costs can be reduced significantly through the use of pultrusion, which is a continuous low cost fabrication method for composites. |
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Project Abstract | There has not been much focus on the development of low cost, high performance raw materials for use in composites. The use of renewable raw materials such as Epoxidized Soybean Oil in resin formulations offer low cost ($.50 per pound) raw materials. Another problem with composites is that they are not ductile, therefore they fail catastrophically. Epoxidized Soybean Oil in resin formulations offer damage tolerance, ductility, and flexibility. Composite Products, Inc. (CPI) and the University of Missouri-Rolla have teamed to propose to develop a new resin system for pultrusion base on this renewable raw material source. |
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Task Description | Preliminary work indicates that a pultrudable resin system can be made that
is more ductile without much loss in strength. |
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Anticipated Benefits | Low cost and damage tolerant soybean resin will be useful in civil infrastructure applications. |
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Modal Orientation | N/A |
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Milestones | | Project Start Date: | 04/01/99 | | Project End Date: | 06/30/99 |
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Relationship to other Research/Projects | Application in pseudo-ductile FRP rebars. Soybean resin system will be more flexible and damage tolerant in comparison with the conventional petroleum based epoxy resin system. |
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Technology Transfer Activities | Will open market to soybean products for Infrastructure applications. |
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Transportation Research Board Keywords | Manufacturing, soybean, pultrusion |
