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US 10,118,375 B2Granted
Extruded deposition of polymers having continuous carbon nanotube reinforcements
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsGregory James Schoepen Hickman, Gregg Robert Bogucki
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Abstract
A composite part is fabricated by rastering a deposition head over a substrate, and additively forming part features by extruding a polymer having an entrained continuous nanotube reinforcement from the deposition head onto a substrate.
Claims18
A deposition fabrication method, comprising:
- establishing a pressurized stream of a first polymer through a tube, wherein the first polymer has a first melt temperature;
- entraining a carbon nanotube reinforcement within the pressurized stream, wherein the carbon nanotube reinforcement is pre-impregnated with a second polymer that has a second melt temperature, wherein the second melt temperature is higher than the first melt temperature, and wherein entraining is performed above the first melt temperature but below the second melt temperature, wherein as a result of entraining a combined polymer is formed;
- maintaining a third temperature at a material supply end of an entrainment barrel that contains the tube at a higher temperature than a fourth temperature at a material deposition end of the entrainment barrel;
- and
- depositing a bead of the combined polymer from the tube onto a substrate.
2 more elements
A method of fabricating a composite part, comprising:
- providing a length of a carbon nanotube yarn;
- providing a liquefied polymer;
- feeding the carbon nanotube yarn and the liquefied polymer into a deposition head, including entraining, through an entrainment barrel, the carbon nanotube yarn within the liquified polymer, and wherein feeding and entraining further comprises:
- feeding the carbon nanotube yarn into a guide tube disposed inside an annular inlet of the entrainment barrel, wherein the guide tube ends at an entrance to a capillary tube disposed inside the entrainment barrel;
- flowing the liquified polymer into the annular inlet and around the guide tube, including flowing the liquified polymer past the guide tube and into the capillary tube via a convergence region in which the liquified polymer is allowed to flow onto the carbon nanotube yarn just as the carbon nanotube yarn enters the capillary tube;
- rastering the deposition head over a substrate;
- and
- additively forming features of the composite part by extruding the liquefied polymer having the carbon nanotube yarn entrained therein from the deposition head onto the substrate, wherein extruding includes extruding from the capillary tube that extends past an end of the entrainment barrel.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.