Co-cured UV/visible light-resistant coated composite material for aircraft wing fuel tank assembly

A co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly comprising:

• a co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material assembly consisting of:
• a co-cured epoxy resin-based composite material substrate, said co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly further comprising a vehicle fuel tank inner surface, said vehicle fuel tank inner surface comprising:
• a co-cured UV/visible light-resistant layer, said co-cured UV/visible light-resistant coating layer comprising at least one of fiberglass fibers, carbon fibers, polyester fibers, aramid fibers, boron fibers, quartz, and combinations thereof, said co-cured UV/visible light-resistant layer in direct contact with the co-cured epoxy resin-based composite material substrate, said co-cured UV/visible light-resistant layer configured to completely cover the co-cured composite material substrate;
• a vehicle fuel tank cavity, said vehicle fuel tank cavity defined by the vehicle fuel tank inner surface;
• wherein the co-cured epoxy resin-based composite material substrate and the co-cured UV-resistant coating layer are co-cured in a co-curing regimen to form the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly, 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 coating layer has a UV/visible light transmittance value of 0% to about 20% for UV/visible light wavelengths ranging from about 200 nm to about 800 nm when the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant coating layer comprises an average thickness ranging from about 2 mils to about 6 mils;
• wherein the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant coating layer alone is solely responsible for imparting the selected degree of UV/visible light-resistance and UV/visible light protection to the underlying co-cured epoxy resin-based composite material;
• and
• wherein inclusion of the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant coating layer in the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assembly obviates the need for the presence of at least one of a UV/visible light-absorbing detail primer layer and a UV/visible light-absorbing paint layer in the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material vehicle fuel tank assembly.

A method for forming a co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material vehicle fuel tank assembly, the method comprising:

• providing a co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate, said co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate comprising a co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate first side and a co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate second side;
• applying a co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer onto said co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate second side, said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating 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 coating layer applied directly onto the co-curable composite material substrate second side at an average thickness ranging from about 2 mils to about 6 mils;
• co-curing the co-curable epoxy resin-based composite material substrate with the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer to form the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material vehicle fuel tank assembly, said co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material vehicle fuel tank assembly comprising a co-cured vehicle fuel tank assembly inner surface, said co-cured vehicle fuel tank assembly inner surface consisting of a co-cured UV/visible light-resistant coating layer having a UV/visible light transmittance value of 0% to about 20% for UV/visible light wavelengths ranging from about 200 nm to about 800 nm when the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant coating layer comprises an average thickness ranging from about 2 mils to about 6 mils, said co-cured UV/visible light-resistant layer configured to define a vehicle fuel tank cavity;
• wherein the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant coating layer alone is solely responsible for imparting the selected degree of UV/visible light-resistance and UV/visible light protection to the underlying co-cured epoxy resin-based composite material substrate;
• and
• wherein inclusion of the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant coating layer in the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material vehicle fuel tank assembly obviates the need for the presence of at least one of a UV/visible light-absorbing detail primer layer and a UV/visible light-absorbing paint layer in the co-cured UV/visible light-resistant composite material vehicle fuel tank assembly.