Aging Aircraft Research Laboratory - Wichita State University - National Institute for Aviation Research

In recent years, composites have replaced aluminum for many aerospace applications because of their superior specific strength and stiffness properties. First developed for military applications, composites now play a significant role in a wide range of current-generation aerospace systems.

NIAR’s Composites and Advanced Materials Laboratory plays a major role in the aviation industry. Researchers and technicians in the Composites Lab perform lay-up and bonding operations and work directly with researchers in the Structures & Fatigue Laboratory to understand the effects of heat, moisture, contamination and repairs on advanced materials. The lab also provides regularly scheduled hands-on training workshops.

CAPABILITIES

  • Lay-up
  • Material equivalency testing
  • Material qualification testing
  • Static and cyclic testing (ASTM and non-standard)
  • Physical testing
  • Quality assurance testing
  • Investigation of adhesive behavior
  • Bonded repairs
  • Controlled impact damage
  • Damage tolerance of sandwich panels
  • Aging studies
  • Specimen conditioning
  • Environmental testing (-200F to +600F)
  • Adhesive characterization of fatigued and damaged bonded joints
  • Full-scale structural testing
  • Effects of defects and NDI standards
  • Specimen machining (ASTM and non-standard)
  • Test fixture fabrication
  • NDI of test coupons
  • Strain gauging and specimen QC
  • Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy/ High Performance Liquid Chromatography

FACILITIES & EQUIPMENT

  • 7,420 sq. ft. laboratory
  • Autoclave (3’ x 5’, 800 degrees F, 200 psi)
  • Environmental chambers for temperature and humidity conditioning
  • Dynamic mechanical analysis units
  • Differential scanning calorimetry
  • Thermogravimetric analyzer
  • Optical microscope with video analysis
  • Stereoscope x350 with hand-held inspection unit
  • Filament winding machine (4-axis)
  • Programmable walk-in oven (8’ L x 5.5’ W x 6’ H, 500 degrees F)
  • Programmable oven (4’ L x 3’ W x 6’ H, 500 degrees F)
  • Ultrasonic NDI unit to perform pulse echo and TTU scans with curved panel capability
  • RTM resin pumps
  • Walk-in freezers (-20 degrees F)
  • Lay-up room
  • Machine shop specialized for composite material processing
  • Instron Dynatup 8250 with environmental chamber X-ray diffractometer
  • Coordinate measuring machine
  • Pheonix 4000 Fully-automated specimen polisher and grinder
  • JEOL 6460LV Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS)
  • 4' by 4' WaterjetPRO cutting table with 30HP 60,000psi max pump and UltraPierce Vacuum Assist

DOWNLOADS & LINKS

CONTACTS