Automobile manufacturer Lamborghini and the Houston Methodist Institute began a research project on advanced carbon fiber composites two years ago, and they have entered an important turning point.
As early as November 2 this year, a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket will carry some composite material samples produced by Lamborghini from the United States Virginia Volops flight base to the International Space Station.
This launch is part of a test event sponsored by the International Laboratory for the National Space Station, and supervised by the Houston Methodist Institute. The purpose is to analyze the response of the 5 different composite materials produced by Lamborghini to the extreme stress caused by the space environment. Consider using these materials in Lamborghini cars and in the medical field in the future.
Lamborghini chairman and CEO Stefano Domenicali signed the agreement with Mauro Ferrari, the current chairman of the European Research Council and then the dean and CEO of the Institute, and this task began. Lamborghini provided free cooperation support.
According to this agreement, a joint research project was initiated to study the biocompatibility of composite materials to determine their possible use in artificial implants as well as subcutaneous devices, thereby taking advantage of their light weight, radio transmission and Unique performance in radio compatibility.
Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and CEO of Lamborghini, said: "Lamborghini, as the world's leading automobile manufacturer, is" breaking ground "on the International Space Station to carry out scientific research on carbon fiber materials. This mission not only represents an important example of corporate social responsibility, And it also fully complies with our philosophy and values. The Lamborghini brand has always been committed to exceeding the limits in each of its business areas and becoming a technological pioneer. "
Specifically, the five carbon fiber samples selected for the experiment use some of today's most innovative technologies, which represent Lamborghini's historical experience accumulated in this field, especially in its composite material development center and advanced composite materials and R & D work carried out by the lightweight structure development laboratory.
Not only are biomedical and automotive sectors interested in 3D printed continuous fiber composites, but it is also possible to combine the maximum flexibility of additive manufacturing with a high degree of mechanical properties (comparable to high-quality aluminum for structural applications).
Discontinuous fiber composite materials also played an important role in the test.
Since the release of the Sesto Elemento series in 2010, Lamborghini has become a leader in this technology.
Now, the application of discontinuous fiber composite materials has become the unified action of the company's product line.
Not only that, the test batch also included samples made of epoxy resin pre-impregnated and autoclaved polymer fabrics.
Although this is a traditional technique, the mechanical properties are very high.
After 6 months on the International Space Station, these materials not only have to withstand extreme thermal excursion cycling tests with peak values between -40 ° C and + 200 ° C, but also withstand large doses of the solar radiation in the highest and thinnest layers of the Earth ’s atmosphere The effects of ultraviolet rays, gamma rays, and the flow of atomic oxygen caused by ionization.
At the end of the mission, the samples returned to Earth will be jointly tested by Lamborghini and the Houston Methodist Institute to quantify the quality degradation of chemical and physical properties and mechanical properties.
Especially for Lamborghini, the data obtained is extremely valuable for applying advanced composite materials more widely to the cars it manufactures.