Carbon nanotube heater composite tooling apparatus and method of use

Abstract

The present invention is an apparatus for curing composites out-of-autoclave and out-of-oven. The apparatus is a multilayered composite tool for shaping and curing composites. It also contains a sealant layer and composite resistive heating element on the tool's surface. This heating element provides heat to the composites during cure while binding it to the other layers, eliminating the need for external heat from autoclave and oven sources. A ceramic layer is applied to the top surface of the resistive heater for electrical insulation, heater protection and to provide a smooth surface for finish for the composite components being processed with the invention. A method for using the invention is also described. Finally, one embodiment of the invention is presented where a negative composite tool is created to apply additional pressure to the composite component during curing. This additional pressure enables the current invention to more closely mimic autoclave composite processing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.