NOVEMBER 2021 | ISSUE 2

NEWSLETTER
AIRPOXY's primary objective is to reduce the
production and maintenance costs of
composite parts in the aeronautics sector
through the introduction of a novel range of
innovative thermoset composites retaining all
the advantages of conventional thermosets,
while also allowing for easy processing, repair,
and recycling.

In this issue
Project progress
Development of 3R-Thermoforming technologies
Development of 3R-Bonding technologies
SHM and development of 3R-Repair technologies
Validation of technologies in an industrial environment
Environmental, economic and human health risk assessment

Sharing results & preparing future exploitation

Dissemination actions
Standardisation, certification, business plan and commercial
roadmap

AIRPOXY is a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program
under grant agreement No 769274.
 Different consolidation concepts, process
parameters and input materials were

Development of 3R- examined. This gained results were compiled

into guidelines for the manufacturing of the

Thermoforming demonstrator parts using the thermoforming

process in industrial scale production. A

technologies
significant finding in the case of DCM is that
despite the high matrix viscosities of the
carbon fiber-reinforced 3R laminates, void-
free thermoforming components (figure 1) can
After the 3R resin formulations were further improved and the be obtained. For this purpose, processes and
geometries have to be adapted, in order to
processing in infusion processes (RTM - Resin Transfer Molding) and
achieve additional interlaminar shear during
continuous prepreg processes were finally validated, good results
forming. With regard to the CCM process, it
were also achieved in the thermoforming of fully cured, carbon
was shown that both continuous laminates and
fiber-reinforced 3R laminates. For this purpose, thermoforming
omega profiles (figure 2) can be produced from
processes such as continuous compression molding (CCM) and
stacked, semi-cured, impregnated single fabric
discontinuous compression molding (DCM) were investigated on a
layers after consolidation at temperature (T =
laboratory scale.
200°C). In addition to process development
and related parameter studies, mechanical
characterization of the 3R-laminates is almost
completed. The interim results are shown in
the table.

Figure 2: Continuous compression molding (CCM) at IVW GmbH

Figure 1: In DCM thermoformed 3R-laminate after heating by IR and consolidation at forming temperature in the closed mold at
IVW GmbH
 Related to adhesive bonding, CIDETEC has
manufactured and characterized 3R adhesive
Development of 3R- film (AIR-ADH-22) for the Project. The
handling and application of 3R adhesive film

Bonding technologies has been finished and guidelines for its

application in WP5 have been produced. A lap
shear of 20 MPa has been achieved. The
defined guidelines will allow adhesive users
(IDEC) to identify options for quality assurance
The main objective of this work package is to develop the bonding for their applications and to select suitable
processes for 3R composite laminates, with two possible variants methods. Previously, EURECAT has performed
being studied: adhesive bonding and welding. Both adhesive bonding the RTM process parameters optimization for
and welding processes have been studied and optimized. Bonding the manufacturing of the 3R laminates.
Regarding welding activities of 3R panels,
processes and tooling’s for 3R adhesive bonding and 3R welding
COEXPAIR has defined the process parameters
have been defined and design.
to manufacture SQRTM panels having a
weldable surface. IVW has defined guidelines
to successfully weld 3R laminates by
conduction welding. Finally, SONACA has
performed the inspection (visual, NDT,
micrography) and characterization of welded
SQRTM panels. The welding results are
compared with co-cured panels and secondary
bonding results. A lap shear strength of around
18 MPa has been achieved in welded
specimens. Complete mechanical
characterization of welded parts is on-going
and it is expected to finish by June 2022.
In the numerical side, a detailed material law
and modelling approach for 3R adhesive have
implemented for both implicit and explicit
solvers by ALTAIR. This allows users to study a
wide variety of cases: quasi-statics, dynamics,
impact, crash…
The obtained results and knowledge will be
Failure mode of welded SQRTM substrates (SLS of 17.7 MPa)
transferred to WP5, to manufacture the
project demonstrators.

Lap shear strength of adhesively bonded 3R substrates with different substrate treatment
 The work concerning structural health

SHM and development monitoring and development of 3R-Repair

technologies was successfully finished. The

of 3R-Repair first achievement was the knockdown effect

assessment between the 3R and the

technologies
conventional (RTM6) composites via
mechanical and non-destructive testing. A very
negligible knockdown effect of about 3-4%
was calculated, proving that the 3R resin had
similar mechanical properties with the
conventional (RTM6) resin, that is a typical
aerospace graded resin. The same tests were
performed at 3R composites manufactured by
different production processes, such as the
RTM process, the thermoforming process
using the 3R enduring prepregs (EPP’s) and the
SQRTM process, in order to evaluate their
differences and the repair efficiency. All the
repair investigations and the processes were
performed by IVW. A repair efficiency from
70% to almost 100% was achieved in different
geometries. ALTAIR, simultaneously, exploiting
all the experimental results, performed all the
simulations on repair with the development of
a repairing model and determined the change
on mechanical response.
 Most tools for the manufacturing of the
demonstrators have been delivered now and

Validation of the manufacturing of elements has started. For

the fan cowl demonstrator, 2 skins and 3
transverse stiffeners were successfully
technologies in manufactured by RTM using 3R resin and
carbon fibers, and 7 longitudinal stiffeners

industrial environment were thermoformed with a press from fully

cured 3R/CF RTM flat laminates. After an
This work package aims at validating the technologies developed in optimization of the process parameters,
AIRPOXY on demonstrators within an industrial environment. Two longitudinal stiffeners with a good surface
demonstrators which are subcomponents of real aircraft structures (fan quality and no wrinkles were produced. The
cowl and leading-edge) have been designed. The demonstrators exhibit bonding of the 3 elements with a 3R adhesive
several complex design features: the fan cowl demonstrator includes a film will start in the coming weeks. For the
complex RTM transverse stiffener, an omega-shape longitudinal stiffener leading-edge demonstrator, 4 nose skins were
with a cross-section variation and a change of thickness that shall be successfully manufactured by SQRTM. These
thermoformed and a complex bonded assembly with 3 elements ; the skins are made of conventional 8552 prepreg
leading-edge demonstrator includes a SQRTM skin with a mix of with a 3R film cocured at the inner surface to
conventional and 3R materials, highly double curved webs that shall be allow for the welding of the webs. Some trials
thermoformed and a complex webs-to-skin welded assembly.
for the thermoforming of the webs made of
carbon fibers reinforced 3R resin have started
and first results obtained by thermoforming a
fully cured 3R/CF RTM flat laminate are
promising.

Fan cowl demonstrator (designed by IDEC - photo credit: IDEC) Leading edge demonstrator (designed by SONACA - photo credit: SONACA)

Top row: Leading edge SQRTM skin with cocured 3R film (left - photo credit: SONACA) and thermoformed 3R/CF half web (right -
photo credit: EIRE Composites) Bottom row: Fan cowl RTM 3R/CF skin and transverse stiffener (left - photo credit: IDEC) and
thermoformed 3R/CF longitudinal stiffener (right - photo credit: EIRE Composites)
Environmental,
economic and human
health risk assessment
Preliminary HHRA calculations comparing the conventional and AIRPOXY
technologies show that the new developed 3R resins are less toxic than the
ones employed before (epoxy resin). Consequently, the human health risks
for the workers that are in contact with these materials are lower in Airpoxy
scenarios than in the conventional ones. These gains are being start to be
demonstrated by the selected LCA & LCC scenarios deployed, which will be
confirmed in upcoming stages of the project, once developments will be
finally ready prior to project’s end.
 Our project was also presented at a series
Dissemination and of events attended by project partners
from September 2020 to September 2021:
exploitation September 2020
On 3 September 2021, a session dedicated to AIRPOXY was SAMPE Europe: New 3R Bonding
organised within the 11th EASN Virtual Conference on Technology for Reparable, Recyclable
Innovation in Aviation and Space to the Satisfaction of and Reprocessable Aerospace
European Citizens. Composite Materials. AIRPOXY was
represented by Cidetec.
Within the dedicated session, AIRPOXY partners delivered
the following presentations:
March 2021
• AIRPOXY: Thermoformable, repairable and bondable smart Online symposium of the Advanced
epoxy-based composites for aero structures (Cidetec) Manufacturing Technology Institute of
• Design of high-performance 3R vitrimers and 3R adhesives Kanazawa University: Composite
for aerospace industry: development, applications, and future Manufacturing - New Developments
trends (Cidetec) and Trends in Europe. AIRPOXY was
• Bonding strategies for dynamic 3R-resin with functionalized represented by Leibniz-Institut für
composites surfaces made by the SQRTM process (Coexpair)
Verbundwerkstoffe.
• Development of thermoforming technologies for carbon
Webinar series by the Spanish
fibre reinforced vitrimer polymers (Leibniz-Institut für
Verbundwerkstoffe) Association of Composites Materials
• Knockdown effect assessment between conventional & 3R (AEMAC): Composites 3R -
composites and their repair efficiency via mechanical and Reparabilidad, Reciclabilidad y
non-destructive evaluation (University of Ioannina) Reprocesabilidad. AIRPOXY was
represented by Cidetec.
Another highlight of the past year was the feature published by JEC Connect: AIRPOXY:
CompositesWorld Magazine on the work accomplished by AIRPOXY. Thermoformable, repairable and
The article, entitled "Reprocessable, repairable and recyclable epoxy bondable smart epoxy based
resins for composites" can be found in the June 2021 issue or via this composites for aero structures.
direct link. AIRPOXY was represented by Cidetec
and ALTAIR.

June 2021
Expert*innen-Tage Verbundwerkstoffe:
Standardisation, certification, business plan AIRPOXY – Challenges in
and commercial roadmap Thermoforming of 3R-Vitrimer Based
CFRPC. AIRPOXY was represented by
As part of its standardisation activities, AIRPOXY organises a Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe.
following CEN Workshop entitled ‘Test method for the 6th International Conference of
evaluation of the adhesive properties of fibre reinforced polymer Engineering Against Failure:
composite joints’. It aims to develop a CEN Workshop Agreement Knockdown effect assessment between
that includes a test method for the evaluation of the adhesive
conventional & 3R composites and
properties of fibre reinforced polymer composite joints. A virtual
their repair efficiency & Repair
kick-off meeting targeted at the global composites market was
scheduled for 4 October 2021. More information about the draft assessment of 3R composites using
project can be found here. various NDE techniques and
development of online SHM
To prepare future industrial implementation of project results, technologies. AIRPOXY was
Cidetec and ÉireComposites are, respectively, developing represented by University of Ioannina.
certification and commercial road maps with input from all Journée Nationale des Composites 22.
partners. Extensive market research was carried out to create a
AIRPOXY was represented by Altair.
business plan for commercialisation of the 3R resin in aerospace,
Composites and Sustainability Forum:
as well as a strategic road map for the project, which specifies the
commercial value of the AIRPOXY project as well as a path to Three Technologies for Sustainable
value for each of the consortium partners. A SWOT analysis was Composites. AIRPOXY was represented
also carried out and helped to identify that there are significant by ÉireComposites.
opportunities for growth using 3R resin technologies.
September 2021
EUROMAT21: Flat Laminate
Manufacturing of CF Reinforced 3R-
Vitrimer Composites. AIRPOXY was
represented by Leibniz-Institut für
Verbundwerkstoffe.