Performance of fiber reinforced materials under cryogenic conditions - A review

For future launch vehicles in aerospace technology, lightweight fuel vessels for liquid oxygen and hydrogen are required. Similar demands derive from the increasing development of the hydrogen technology in terrestrial applications. Lightweight demands require the use of vessels with load carrying fiber composite overwrap. Other cryogenic applications of fiber reinforced plastics are found in magnet technology where superconductivity requires the operation in the cryogenic regime. For these reasons, a strong demand for validated procedures for the assessment of fiber reinforced plastic structures under cryogenic environments has developed during the past years. The present study is concerned with a literature survey on the state of the art in the assessment of FRP materials under cryogenic temperatures. Aspects include the strength and toughness, failure mechanisms as well as characterization procedures used for determination of material data.