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AssigneeUT-Battelle, LLC
InventorsFrederic Vautard, Soydan Ozcan
Estimating the term…
A functionalized carbon fiber having covalently bound on its surface a sizing agent containing epoxy groups, at least some of which are engaged in covalent bonds with crosslinking molecules, wherein each of said crosslinking molecules possesses at least two epoxy-reactive groups and at least one free functional group reactive with functional groups of a polymer matrix in which the carbon fiber is to be incorporated, wherein at least a portion of said cros slinking molecules are engaged, via at least two of their epoxy-reactive groups, in crosslinking bonds between at least two epoxy groups of the sizing agent. Composites comprised of these functionalized carbon fibers embedded in a polymeric matrix are also described. Methods for producing the functionalized carbon fibers and composites thereof are also described.
A method of making a carbon fiber having on its surface an at least partially cured sizing gent containing epoxy groups, the method comprising covalently binding on the surface of a carbon fiber a sizing agent comprised of an epoxy resin, and at least partially curing said sizing agent by contact thereof with a crosslinking molecule possessing at least two epoxy-reactive groups and at least one free functional group reactive with functional groups of a polymer matrix in which the carbon fiber is to be incorporated, wherein, after said at least partial curing step, at least a portion of said crosslinking molecules are engaged, via at least two of their epoxy-reactive groups, in crosslinking bonds between at least two epoxy groups of the sizing agent before or after the sizing agent is covalently bound to the surface of said carbon fiber.
A method of making a solid composite containing carbon fibers covalently embedded in a polymeric matrix, the method comprising admixing carbon fibers, having an at least partially cured epoxy-containing sizing agent covalently bound to their surfaces, with a polymer precursor resin to form a cured polymeric matrix that contains said carbon fibers covalently embedded therein, wherein said at least partially cured epoxy-containing sizing agent contains an epoxy resin possessing epoxy groups engaged in covalent bonds with crosslinking molecules possessing at least two epoxy-reactive groups and at least one free functional group that crosslinks with functional groups of the polymer precursor resin during the curing step, wherein at least a portion of said crosslinking molecules are engaged, via at least two of their epoxy-reactive groups, in crosslinking bonds between at least two epoxy groups of the sizing agent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.