We explored the effects of controlled irradiation on EPON 862/W epoxy resin in collaboration with Prairie View A&M University, with sponsorship from Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory. This resin system is widely utilized in the aerospace industry for its ability to withstand harsh environments, including radiation, thermal cycling, and mechanical stress.
Our primary objective was to evaluate the material’s performance for use in aerospace composites, with specific focus on its stability under X-ray irradiation. We aimed to replicate the extreme conditions encountered in aerospace environments and assess the resulting structural and thermal degradation.
We characterized the EPON 862/W epoxy system using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Laser Flash Analysis (LFA), Micro-CT Scanning, and 3-Point Bending tests. These methods enabled us to evaluate material properties both before and after irradiation, which we conducted at Prairie View A&M University.
