Creep behaviour of FM906 glass-fibre epoxy as used in heated fibre metal laminates

Abstract

An innovative deicing system for aircraft leading edges has been developed which integrates heater elements into fibre metal laminates. Such an electrical system can lead to weight reductions and more efficient performances compared to conventional bleed air systems. However, the combination of thermal and mechanical loadings also raises new questions on the durability of such a structure, in particular due to the repeated heating to elevated temperature. The linear viscoelastic creep behaviour, including the effects of temperature and ageing, is therefore investigated for manufactured FM906 glass-fibre epoxy composite as used in heated GLARE. A master curve is derived based on the time–temperature and time–age superposition. The effect of physical ageing during loading is included in a long-term creep prediction.