Repair of Composite Aero-Structures

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the use of composite materials has sharply increased. Properties such as high strength to weight and stiffness to weight ratios and high corrosion resistance as well as the flexibility they offer in design render composite materials necessary in aeronautics. In cases of failure, the replacement of composite components is extremely costly and thus repairing them is preferred. In the aviation industry, bonded repairs are dominant because they ensure improved load transfer and joint efficiency. However, FAA regulations permit the application of bonded joints only in secondary components and some of the primary structures of an aircraft. The need to reduce maintenance and repair costs is a driving force for the approval and implementation of bonded joints in more of the primary structures of an airplane. Hence, the optimization of bonded repairs as well as the development of proper non-destructive techniques to determine the structural reliability of these joints are two major issues that concern the aviation industry.

In this regard, the main aim of this Special Issue is to present a collection of investigations focused on methods for repairing composite materials, the procedures followed during repair, and the factors determining the final mechanical properties of the repaired component. Aspects that will be included are non-destructive testing (NDT) damage identification, damage categorization, types of repair of the composite, surface treatment, application of the repair patch, and the curing of the patch. In this Special Issue, several scientific challenges and opportunities will be identified in order to develop and design cost-effective and certifiable composite repair technologies, including monitoring and automation of repairs.

Prof. Vasilis Kostopoulos
Dr. Spyridon Psarras
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Composites Science is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Composite
• Repair
• FE Modeling
• Optimization
• NDT
• Automation