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US 10,787,755 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for manufacturing carbon fibers
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsKeith Daniel Humfeld, Scott Hartshorn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for manufacturing a carbon fiber. Pressure is applied to a filament to change a cross-sectional shape of the filament and create a plurality of distinct surfaces on the filament. The filament is converted into a graphitic carbon fiber having the plurality of distinct surfaces. A plurality of sizings is applied to the plurality of distinct surfaces of the graphitic carbon fiber in which the plurality of sizings includes at least two different sizings.
Claims22
A method for manufacturing a carbon fiber, the method comprising:
- applying pressure to a filament to change a cross-sectional shape of the filament and create a plurality of distinct surfaces on the filament;
- converting the filament into a graphitic carbon fiber having the plurality of distinct surfaces;
- and
- applying a plurality of sizings to the plurality of distinct surfaces of the graphitic carbon fiber—in which the plurality of sizings includes a first sizing and a second sizing that is different from the first sizing,
- wherein the first sizing contacts a first surface of the graphitic carbon fiber and the second sizing contacts a second surface of the graphitic carbon fiber.
2 more elements
A method for manufacturing a carbon fiber, the method comprising:
- extruding a polyacrylonitrile polymer through a plurality of openings of an output system to form a plurality of filaments;
- flattening each filament of the plurality of filaments using a roller system to elongate a cross-sectional shape of each filament and create a plurality of distinct surfaces on each filament;
- converting the plurality of filaments into a plurality of graphitic carbon fibers, with each of the plurality of graphitic carbon fibers having the plurality of distinct surfaces;
- and
- applying a plurality of sizings to each graphitic carbon fiber of the plurality of graphitic carbon fibers in which the plurality of sizings includes at least two different sizings,
- wherein each sizing of the at least two different sizings contacts a respective distinct surface of the plurality of distinct surfaces of the each graphitic carbon fiber.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.