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Abstract
This article presents the results of an investigation of the Raman scattering effects of aging Kevlar strands. The goal of this research was to investigate the potential application of Raman spectroscopy as a nondestructive evaluation tool for the detection of aging effects of in-service composite materials. Kevlar composites used as overwrapping of metal-lined composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) have been analyzed. Raman spectra produced from the Kevlar fibers and the effects of resin materials, utilized to bind the fibers into strands to provide composite behavior, have been investigated. A series of Kevlar/epoxy strands exposed to elevated temperatures and sustained loading have been evaluated. It was found that this exposure had an effect on the width and intensity of certain bands in the Raman spectra of Kevlar. The potential application of these findings to the nondestructive evaluation of Kevlar composites is discussed.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors express their gratitude to Scott Thorton, Shawn Arnett, and Tom Yolken of Texas Research International (TRI), Austin, Texas, for supplying some of the materials used in this study, and for technical assistance and support. The authors would also like to express their gratitude to Steve Martin, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University for his support and for providing access to the instrumentation.