Laboratory for Research on Electron Beam Curing of Composites
A unique facility was founded in 2000 to study the use of electron beam radiation for curing advanced polymer composite structures. The centerpiece of the facility is a 3 MeV linear electron beam accelerator, capable of curing up to a half-inch-thick carbon fiber composite panel (two-sided exposure).
The Laboratory is dedicated to basic and applied research. We have an ongoing effort with our various collaborators to develop a suite of sensor techniques for gaining real time, in-situ information on resin curing kinetics, applied dose, sample temperature, resin residual stress, and other properties. The facility is also available to study the behavior of other polymeric processes, such as polyethylene crosslinking, fluoropolymer degradation, and curing of adhesives and inks.
The Laboratory was established under an equipment grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Air Force Research Laboratory (MLBC, Wright-Patterson AFB), and the Ohio Board of Regents. The e-beam facility is available for university, government, or industrial users to conduct studies that require from a half-day to several weeks or more. Customers are encouraged, but not required, to be present during operation to help set up, execute, and monitor experiments and data collection.
Use of the facility can be arranged through any of the following mechanisms:
- Direct research grant or purchase order
- Joint research programs with UDRI (e.g. STTR, SBIR)
- Cooperative research agreements
For more information, please contact Dr. Donald Klosterman.
Download an excellent review paper on the electron-beam processing of composites: PDF, 2.9 MB.
Work on electron beam curing of composites and polymers is complemented by research in the Center for Basic and Applied Polymer Research.