This award is for support of a cooperative project by Dr. Sabit Adanur, Associate Professor, Department of Textile Engineering at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, and Dr. Samy E. Shalaby of the Textile Research Division in the National Research Center in Cairo, Egypt. The two scientists plan to design, fabricate, test and analyze stitch bonded laminar thermoplastic composites. The research will address the disadvantages of currently available composites including high cost and lack of well-defined design and manufacturing rules. Thermoplastic material use is increasing as the principal matrix material for composites due to many advantages. The research will involve traditional and high performance thermoplastic matrix materials. The recycling of composites will be investigated and the mechanical properties of the resulting second-generation materials will be analyzed. Failure mechanisms, damage resistance and tolerance of thermoplastic composite materials, and the effects of field conditions on laminar composite structures will be investigated and the mechanistic models will be developed. Scope: This award will allow collaboration between Egyptian and US scientists who have significant technical background and expertise to carry out the proposed research. The US scientist will develop the stitching method and textile preform structures. The Egyptian scientist will improve the interface between resin and reinforcement material. Chemical analysis and testing will be done in Egypt and mechanical testing will be done in the United States. This research project will help the US composite manufacturing companies to diversify into civilian applications. It will help the private Egyptian textile companies to participate in the design, development and manufacture of textile structural composites. This proposal meets the INT objective of increasing US-foreign collaboration in areas that benefit both sides. This project is being supported under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to carry out these cooperative activities.
