The main goal of the present work is to evaluate the efficiency of two different coatings used as protection against the erosion wear process of glass/kevlar fibers/epoxy resin substrates, on aircraft structures. Coatings based on polyurethane paint and a colorless polyurethane film had their resistance against erosion evaluated, when subjected to blasting of glass beads. Some factors, such as the physical nature of the glass bead abrasive, the distance from the glass bead source to the target, the particles speed and attack angle were considered during the blasting operation. A special apparatus was developed for the erosion tests. The protection against erosion was evaluated by weight loss of the specimens. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy assisted by EDS technique were also used to characterize the erosion process. The results showed that the polyurethane paint presents low erosion resistance. However, the efficiency of this paint was increased nearly 5 times when coated with a colorless polyurethane film, increasing consequently the service life of the aircraft component. Considering the easy application of the polyurethane film onto the aircraft components, and based upon the results obtained this film is currently being used by manufacturers and operators of aircrafts.
Polymer composites; erosion; erosion protection; polyurethane film
