Abstract: Existing composite repair technologies face limitations in complex process and timeliness, which require heating/pressurization equipment for curing and prove unsuitable for in-situ, low-energy, rapid field repairs. Frontal polymerization (FP) polymers, typified by dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), present compelling potential for emergency equipment maintenance. These resins achieve rapid curing under minimal thermal initiation, featuring simple processing, ultra-fast kinetics, low energy consumption, and exceptional mechanical properties. Consequently, this work investigates FP-based rapid repair of perforated composite laminates, systematically evaluating the impact of patch ply count, adhesive interlayer, and patch geometry on restoration efficacy. Results demonstrate optimal repair performance with 4 patch plies. However, the lack of adequate bonding between the FP patch and damaged parent plate initially limits the strength recovery ratio to 40.74%. The application of a rapidly curing epoxy adhesive (DP100 glue) at the repair interface increased the strength recovery ratio to 71.94%. Further geometric optimization of a trapezoidal patch configuration increased this ratio to 84.48%. Compared to conventional external patch repair, the FP-based technique delivers substantial advances: energy consumption decreases by 1~4 orders of magnitude, repair time shortens from hours to minutes, and the process eliminates auxiliary heating/pressurization equipment.

Key words: frontal polymerization, in-situ rapid repair, composites, patch repair, perforation damage