Kevlar Aramid Fibers vs Other Fibers for Reinforcement of Composite Structures

KEVLAR and graphite are making major inroads into replacing metal structures on helicopters on a cost and weight effective basis. Both fibers plus fiberglass give engineers new tools to innovate new designs and improve old ones. Adding to the opportunity for designers is the possibility of hybridizing fibers in structures taking advantage of the merits of each fiber. Helicopter manufacturers have led in hybridizing fiber into structures and the results are evident in the papers presented at this meeting. The emphasis of my presentation will be reviewing some key and some little known properties of the various fibers in composite form, and then reviewing some of the key programs where KEVLAR is used with emphasis on helicopters.