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US 10,208,176 B2Granted
Composite material with thermoplastic toughened novolac-based epoxy resin matrix
AssigneeHexcel Corporation
InventorsGordon Emmerson, Yen-Seine Wang, Jessica Leandro
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Pre-impregnated composite material (prepreg) that can be cured/molded to form aerospace composite parts. The prepreg includes carbon reinforcing fibers and an uncured resin matrix. The resin matrix includes an epoxy component that is a combination of a hydrocarbon epoxy novolac resin and a trifunctional epoxy resin and a tetrafunctional epoxy resin. The resin matrix includes polyethersulfone as a toughening agent and a thermoplastic particle component that includes a mixture of polyamide particles and polyimide particles.
Claims18
A pre-impregnated composite material comprising:
- (A) reinforcing fibers comprising carbon fibers;
- and
- (B) an uncured resin matrix comprising an uncured resin that comprises:
- (a) an epoxy resin component comprising from 9 to 18 weight percent hydrocarbon epoxy novolac resin, based on the total weight of the uncured resin, from 35 to 45 weight percent of a trifunctional epoxy resin and a tetrafunctional epoxy resin, based on the total weight of the uncured resin, wherein the weight ratio between the trifunctional epoxy resin and the tetrafunctional epoxy resin is from 1.0:1.5 to 1.5:1.0;
- (b) from 9 to 15 weight percent of a thermoplastic particle component, based on the total weight of the uncured resin, said thermoplastic particle component comprising a mixture of polyimide particles and polyamide particles, said polyamide particles comprising a polyamide which is the polymeric condensation product of 1,10-decane dicarboxylic acid and an amine component having the formula
- where both R2 are hydrogen and both R1 are methyl and wherein the weight ratio between the polyamide particles and polyimide particles ranges from 3.5:1.0 to 1.0:1.0;
- (d) from 7 to 14 weight percent of a thermoplastic toughening agent, based on the total weight of the uncured resin, said thermoplastic toughening agent comprising polyethersulfone;
- and
- (e) from 20 to 30 weight percent of a curing agent, based on the total weight of the uncured resin, said curing agent comprising 3, 3′-diaminodiphenylsulfone and/or 4, 4′-diaminodiphenylsulfone.
6 more elements
A method for making a pre-impregnated composite material comprising the steps of:
- (A) providing reinforcing fibers comprising carbon fibers;
- (B) providing an uncured resin matrix comprising an uncured resin that comprises:
- (a) an epoxy resin component comprising from 9 to 18 weight percent hydrocarbon epoxy novolac resin, based on the total weight of the uncured resin, from 35 to 45 weight percent of a trifunctional epoxy resin and a tetrafunctional epoxy resin, based on the total weight of the uncured resin, wherein the weight ratio between the bifunctional epoxy resin and the tetrafunctional epoxy resin is from 1.0:1.5 to 1.5:1.0;
- (b) from 9 to 15 weight percent of a thermoplastic particle component, based on the total weight of the uncured resin, said thermoplastic particle component comprising a mixture of polyimide particles and polyamide particles, said polyamide particles comprising a polyamide which is the polymeric condensation product of 1,10-decane dicarboxylic acid and an amine component having the formula
- where both R2 are hydrogen and both R1 are methyl and wherein the weight ratio between the polyamide particles and polyimide particles ranges from 3.5:1.0 to 1.0:1.0;
- (d) from 7 to 14 weight percent of a thermoplastic toughening agent, based on the total weight of the uncured resin, said thermoplastic toughening agent comprising polyethersulfone;
- and
- (e) from 20 to 30 weight percent of a curing agent, based on the total weight of the uncured resin, said curing agent comprising 3, 3′-diaminodiphenylsulfone and/or 4, 4′-diaminodiphenylsulfone;
- and
- (C) combining said reinforcing fibers with said uncured resin matrix.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.