Fiber Reinforced Polymer

About

Background There has been considerable interest in designing new structures and strengthening existing structures using fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs). FRP materials offer high strength, low-weight, non-corrosiveness, flexibility, and provide linear elastic response under tension loads. In infrastructure applications, nonlinear behavior is important as it allows ductile (non-sudden) failure of structures which is required by most design codes worldwide. The absence of ductility in FRPs has hindered its widespread in civil construction. Currently, hybrid FRP systems have been developed and have shown the ability to provide nonlinear behavior; however, these systems require a combination of multiple types of fibers (non mono-type) during fabrication. This requirement makes hybrid materials expensive, cumbersome to manufacture, and unattractive for field applications.  There is a present need for new composite materials that can utilize FRPs and provide superior ductility for civil applications. Technology Description Researchers at the University of New Mexico have developed new fiber reinforced polymer composite materials that provide superior ductility.  This new bio-inspired composite has great flexibility in design depending on the type of structural application. These materials are also suitable for high strain loading applications such as seismic retrofit, blast and impact resistance.  Furthermore, the FRP composite can be designed using a variety of fibers including carbon, glass, aramid, polypropylene, etc. Advantages/Applications Fiber reinforced polymer composites with superior ductility FRP with significantly high strain at failure Number of leading peaks and their corresponding strain levels can be chosen and adapted Applications in strengthening civil infrastructures and aerospace/aircraft industries