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US 12,746,739 B2Granted
Smooth surface hybrid composites
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsStephen Moore, Timothy L. Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are articles comprising: (a) a glass micro sheet having top and bottom surfaces and a thickness of about 0.001 to about 0.040 inches; and (b) a layer comprising a plurality of composite layers, the layer having top and bottom surfaces, wherein the bottom layer of the glass micro sheet is bonded to the top surface of the layer comprising a plurality of composite layers; and wherein the (Ra) of the top surface of the glass micro sheet is 1 nm<Ra<1 μm, and methods of making same.
Claims20
An article comprising:
- a pre-formed glass micro sheet having top and bottom surfaces, wherein the glass micro sheet has a thickness of about 0.001 to about 0.040 inches;
- a multi-layered composite film comprising a plurality of composite layers, said plurality of composite layers comprising a carbon fiber-reinforced composite, a fiberglass composite, or a combination thereof, the multi-layered composite film having top and bottom surfaces;
- and
- a plurality of discrete thermally conductive strips embedded in the multi-layered composite at predetermined positions along each one of the composite layers to conduct heat through the thickness of the plurality of composite layers in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of composite layers,
- wherein the bottom surface of the glass micro sheet is co-bonded to the top surface of the multi-layered composite film, comprising the plurality of composite layers, during cure of an epoxy or cyanate ester thermoset resin matrix of the multi-layered composite film in an autoclave at a temperature between about 130° F. and 350° F. and at a pressure of between about 15 psi and 85 psi while held under vacuum pressure;
- wherein, after cure, a glass-composite interface is void-free;
- wherein surface roughness (Ra) of the top surface of the glass micro sheet is 1 nm<Ra<1 μm;
- and
- wherein each one of the plurality of composite layers comprises a top surface and a bottom surface;
- and
- wherein each of the thermally conductive strips comprises:
- a plate-shaped lower linear portion that is substantially parallel to and in contact with the bottom surface of an associated one of the plurality of composite layers;
- a plate-shaped upper linear portion that is substantially parallel to and in contact with the top surface of the associated one of the plurality of composite layers;
- and
- an arcuate portion that connects the plate-shaped lower linear portion and the plate-shaped upper linear portion.
12 more elements
A method of making a composite article, the method comprising:
- forming an assembly by:
- placing a pre-formed glass micro sheet a tool surface, the glass micro-sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface and a thickness of about 0.001 to about 0.040 inches on a tool surface, such that the top surface of the glass micro sheet contacts the tool surface;
- placing a multi-layered composite film on the glass micro sheet, the multi-layered composite film having a top surface and a bottom surface, such that the top surface of the multi-layered composite contacts the bottom surface of the glass micro sheet,
- wherein:
- the multi-layered composite film comprises a plurality of composite layers and a plurality of thermally conductive strips embedded at predetermined positions along each one of the composite layers;
- each one of the plurality of composite layers has a top surface and a bottom surface and comprises a carbon fiber-reinforced composite, a fiberglass composite, or a combination thereof;
- and
- each of the thermally conductive strips comprises a plate-shaped lower linear portion that is substantially parallel to and in contact with the bottom surface of an associated one of the plurality of composite layers, a plate-shaped upper linear portion that is substantially parallel to and in contact with the top surface of the associated one of the plurality of composite layers, and an arcuate portion that connects the plate-shaped lower linear portion and the plate-shaped upper linear portion;
- placing a backing material on the multi-layered composite, the backing material having a top surface and a bottom surface, such that the top surface of the backing material contacts the bottom surface of the multi-layered composite film;
- curing the assembly in an autoclave at a temperature between about 130° F. and 350° F. and at a pressure of between about 15 psi and 85 psi while held under vacuum pressure to obtain the composite article;
- and
- co-bonding the glass micro sheet to the multi-layered composite film during curing,
- wherein surface roughness (Ra) of the top surface of the glass micro sheet is 1 nm<Ra<1 μm;
- and
- wherein, after cure, a glass-composite interface is void-free.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.