Polymer matrix fiber composites have revolutionized a number of industries. Composites enjoy a high strength-to-weight ratio which makes them ideal for usage in aircraft and other weight sensitive applications. However, composites lack fracture toughness, resulting in ease of crack propagation making composites very dangerous if poorly designed or manufactured. The Boeing Company’s 787 Dreamliner is a luxury airliner made primarily of composites. Working with such composites has proven costly because of the thousands of hours needed to cure the carbon fiber parts in a pressurized autoclave. The ability to run these ovens at a higher temperature ramp rate, lower pressure, and higher quality of bagging material or with less breather material could mean hundreds of millions of dollars saved in production costs.

The Boeing Company asked BYU capstone team 8 to explore the relationship between temperature ramp rate and pressure in curing carbon fiber reinforced composites while maintaining the composite’s strength. The team created an experimental design to explore these variables and their effect on the mechanical properties of carbon fiber and to determine the limiting values of these parameters for aircraft production. The result of the team’s research led to a recommendation to the Boeing Company that will be beneficial to them in their carbon fiber aircraft part production.