Methods and systems for in-plane slurry infiltration of composite preforms
AssigneeGoodrich Corporation
InventorAtta Khan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for infiltrating a fibrous preform in the in-plane direction and forming composite components are provided. A system for infiltrating a fibrous preform may include a slurry reservoir defining a cavity configured to receive a fibrous preform. The cavity may be configured such that an internal surface of the slurry reservoir is spaced apart from an outer diameter of the fibrous preform. A slurry inlet may be formed in the slurry reservoir. The slurry inlet and the cavity may be configured such that a slurry input into the cavity infiltrates the fibrous preform in an in-plane direction.
Claims12
A method of forming a composite component, comprising:
- locating a fibrous preform in a cavity of a slurry reservoir, wherein an outer diameter surface of the fibrous preform is spaced apart from an internal surface of the slurry reservoir, wherein the locating the fibrous preform in the cavity comprises orienting a radial direction of the fibrous preform to be parallel with a vertical direction of the cavity;
- after locating the fibrous preform in the cavity of the slurry reservoir, generating a vacuum pressure within the cavity of the slurry reservoir;
- after generating the vacuum pressure within the cavity of the slurry reservoir, inputting a slurry including particulates, a liquid carrier, and a binder, into the cavity at atmospheric pressure, wherein the cavity is configured such that the slurry infiltrates the fibrous preform in the radial direction, wherein the particulates are boron carbide (B4C) particulates, wherein the liquid carrier is at least one of water or alcohol, and wherein the binder is at least one a polymeric adhesive or a polyvinyl acetate;
- generating a pressure gradient, via a pump, causing the slurry to flow in an in-plane direction through the fibrous preform from an outside diameter of the fibrous preform through and an inside diameter of the fibrous preform and into an interior of a filter coupled to the pump and located along the inside diameter of the fibrous preform;
- drying the fibrous preform;
- and
- densifying the fibrous preform.
A method of forming a brake disk, comprising:
- locating a fibrous preform in a cavity of a slurry reservoir;
- after locating the fibrous preform in the cavity of the slurry reservoir, generating a vacuum pressure within the cavity of the slurry reservoir;
- after generating the vacuum pressure within the cavity of the slurry reservoir, infiltrating the fibrous preform in a radial direction with a slurry at atmospheric pressure by flowing the slurry about an outer diameter of the fibrous preform, wherein the slurry includes particulates, a liquid carrier, and a binder, wherein the slurry infiltrates the fibrous preform at the atmospheric pressure, wherein the particulates are boron carbide (B4C) particulates, wherein the liquid carrier is at least one of water or alcohol, and wherein the binder is at least one a polymeric adhesive or a polyvinyl acetate;
- generating a pressure gradient, via a pump, causing the slurry to flow in an in-plane direction through the fibrous preform from an outside diameter of the fibrous preform through and an inside diameter of the fibrous preform and into an interior of a filter coupled to the pump and located along the inside diameter of the fibrous preform;
- and
- densifying the fibrous preform after infiltrating the fibrous preform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.