Co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material for structural aircraft assembly

A co-cured composite material assembly consisting of comprising:

• a co-cured composite material substrate, said co-cured composite material substrate comprising a composite material substrate first side and a composite material substrate second side;
• a co-cured UV/visible light-resistant single ply layer, said co-cured UV-resistant single ply layer comprising a co-cured UV/visible light-resistant layer first side and a co-cured UV/visible light-resistant layer second side, said co-cured UV/visible light-resistant single ply layer comprising at least one of fiberglass fibers, carbon fibers, polyester fibers, aramid fibers, boron fibers, quartz, and combinations thereof;
• wherein the co-cured composite material substrate and the co-cured UV-resistant single ply layer are co-cured in a co-curing regimen, said co-curing regimen comprising a co-curing temperature ranging from about 250° F. to about 410° F.;
• wherein the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant layer has a UV/visible light transmittance value ranging from about 0% to about 20% UV/visible light transmittance for UV/visible light wavelengths ranging from about 200 nm to about 800 nm when the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant layer comprises an average thickness ranging from about 2 mils to about 6 mils;
• wherein the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant-single ply layer immediately contacts and completely covers the composite material substrate second side;
• wherein the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant single ply layer is solely responsible for imparting UV/visible light-resistance to the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material assembly;
• and
• wherein the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material assembly does not contain an additional UV/visible light-resistant material beyond the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant single ply layer.

A method comprising:

• providing a co-curable composite material substrate, said co-curable composite material substrate comprising a composite material substrate first side and a composite material substrate second side;
• applying a co-curable UV/visible light-resistant single ply layer onto composite material substrate second side, said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant single ply layer comprising at least one of fiberglass fibers, carbon fibers, polyester fibers, aramid fibers, boron fibers, quartz, and combinations thereof, said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant single ply layer having a UV/visible light transmittance value ranging from about 0% to about 20% UV/visible light transmittance for UV/visible light wavelengths ranging from about 200 nm to about 800 nm when the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant single ply layer comprises an average thickness ranging from about 2 mils to about 6 mils;
• co-curing the co-curable composite material substrate with the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant single ply layer at a temperature ranging from about 250° F. to about 410° F. to form a co-cured composite material assembly for an aircraft structure;
• wherein the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant-single ply layer immediately contacts and completely covers the co-curable composite material substrate second side;
• wherein the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant single ply layer is solely responsible for imparting UV/visible light-resistance to the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant composite material assembly;
• and
• wherein the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant composite material assembly does not contain an additional UV/visible light-resistant material beyond the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant single ply layer.