LIGHTWEIGHT AND HIGH-IMPACT-RESISTANT ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERY ENCLOSURE WITH FIBER METAL LAMINATE COMPOSITES

A method is provided for fabricating thermoplastic fiber-reinforced polymer material (FRP) and fiber metal laminate (FML) composites by a resin-infusion process with a liquid thermoplastic poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) resin, which has a mixed viscosity of 200 cP at room temperature. The curing process may be initiated by benzoyl peroxide in the methyl methacrylate matrix, which follows a radical polymerization process. A high impact resistance lightweight battery enclosure may be formed by a composite of ductile metal (aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, titanium alloy, or steel alloy) with fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP). The fiber material in the FRP can be carbon fiber, glass fiber, basalt fiber, Kevlar fiber, UHMWPE fiber, or any combination thereof.