The Boeing Company
Polymer nanoparticles for improved distortion capability in composites

Abstract:

A composition may include a resin and a plurality of polymer nanoparticles included in the resin to form a resin mixture. At least some of the polymer nanoparticles may have a greater distortion capability than the resin due to the nature of the polymer backbone of the polymer nanoparticles, and/or due to the nanoparticle free volume being greater than the free volume of the resin, and/or due to the nanoparticle porosity being greater than a porosity of resin. The incorporation of the polymer nanoparticles in the resin may result in an improvement in the strain and/or distortional capability of the resin mixture which may improve the performance of the composite structure.