Exploitation of high performance composite structures at elevated temperatures

The application of carbon fibre reinforced composite materials is currently limited to temperatures up to 120- 180°C. At higher thermal conditions metal solutions or additional insulations are therefore currently used, for instance within engines and surrounding structures of aircraft and helicopters, rocket housings as well as compartments for electrical systems or batteries. Significant weight savings are expected when expanding the use of composite materials even to higher temperatures by different means. At first, classical resin systems could be substituted by new composite resin systems that withstand temperatures up to 300°C. At second, new structural designs could be envisaged to improve heat dissipation and therefore to lower structural operation temperature. At third, current structural design solutions could be better exploited by enhanced analysis methods and design criteria making use of more reliable understanding of material and structural behavior