CSI: Composites Scene Investigations

Half the time, Kevin Spoo can tell what's wrong with a composites product just by looking at it. "Look for discolorations. Look to see if the glass is wet out with a simple dye penetrant. Look at the smoothness of surface--is it supposed to be that way? Sometimes you just put it up to your nose and smell it. All the senses are applied," he says.

As a senior scientist for Owens Corning, Spoo has solved a range of mysteries regarding bad products. Most often, he says, problems occur when manufacturers switch resins or fibers, or when they introduce a new design or personnel. "Most of the process engineers are younger folks who may not have seen a problem that some of the old guard has seen," he says. "The big thing is to find someone in the plant who has been around the block a few times."

Using real case studies, Spoo will share some of his problem-solving techniques during an educational session The Composite Detective: Troubleshooting Composite Problems at COMPOSITES+POLYCON 2009. "I'm going to go cover the primary tools," he says. "Experience is one tool, finding someone that knows more than you about composites. The second tool is to use a variety of ASTM standards," he says. He will also talk about more complex and expensive options, including scanning electron microscopy.

Among the case studies Spool will consider are the following real-life scenarios:
 

• A manufacturer noted that instead of the fibers turning clear in the resin, they stuck out like straws.
• A manufacturer saw blisters on the gel coasted surface
• Paint applied to a composites surface panel caused fish-eyes
• Pultruded parts cracked, and the fabricator did not get the mechanical performance he expected.

Spoo's presentation takes place Friday, Jan. 16 from 3 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. For more information, click here.