Prestressed PMC connectors join rocket engine pipes.(Welding/Joining)

Advanced Materials & Processes,  January, 2004  

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A prestressed, cured, polymer-matrix pipe connector that slides over two sections of metal pipe has been developed by the Technology Partnership, Grosse Ile, Mich., with funding from the Missile Defense Agency and the U.S. Air Force. They are called dynamic polymer connectors (DPC), and they offer the possibility of significant weight savings in aerospace applications.

To make the connector, a high-modulus fiber is filament wound at high tension around a length of polymer pipe. The fibers are prestressed to approximately 50 to 80% of their maximum strength. To join the metal ...

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