*** 96-60609 Allred This Small Business Innovation Research project will outline chemical strategies for "interfaces by design" to formulate new finish compositions that should vastly improve the performance of composite materials in high humidity or marine applications. Initial results from fiber finishes incorporating this novel chemistry suggests the possibility of advanced composites that offer not only moisture resistance, but an actual improvement of mechanical strength and fracture toughness following water exposure. Composite materials are universally affected by humidity or water immersion due primarily to the ingress of water at the fiber/matrix interface. Moisture degradation of composite properties remains a critical technology problem for these versatile materials. Advanced composite materials are finding increased usage in a growing range of applications. The more the engineering and fabrication properties of these materials are understood, the greater is the demand for them. As composite technology is applied to evermore new and demanding areas, further improvements in performance are necessary while simultaneously reducing costs. ??
