Composite materials
AssigneeHexcel Composites Limited
InventorsJohn L. Cawse, Martin Simmons, George Green
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A composite material, the composite material comprising at least one prepreg, said prepreg comprising at least one polymeric resin and at least one fibrous reinforcement; and conducting particles dispersed in the polymeric resin.
Claims27
A lightning protected composite structure comprising:
- a plurality of fibrous layers that are electrically conductive;
- a resin layer located between said fibrous layers that comprises cured polymeric resin which is non-electrically conductive;
- and
- a sufficient number of electrically conductive bridges across said resin layer to protect said composite structure from a lightning strike wherein said conductive bridges comprise electrically conductive particles.
A method for protecting a composite structure against a lightning strike wherein said composite structure comprises a plurality of electrically conductive fibrous layers that are separated from each other by a resin layer that comprises a cured polymeric resin, said method comprising the step of forming a sufficient number of electrically conductive bridges across said resin layers to protect said composite structure from said lightning strike, wherein said electrically conductive bridges comprise electrically conductive particles.
A composite material for use in making a composite structure that is protected against a lightning strike, said composite structure comprising a plurality of electrically conductive fibrous layers that are separated from each other by a resin layer that comprises an cured polymeric resin and a sufficient number of electrically conductive bridges across said resin layer to protect said composite structure from said lightning strike, wherein said electrically conductive bridges comprise electrically conductive particles, said composite material comprising;
- an electrically conductive fibrous layer;
- and
- a resin comprising a polymeric resin and sufficient number of electrically conductive particles having a sufficient size to form said sufficient number of electrically conductive bridges.
In a composite structure comprising a plurality of electrically conductive fibrous layers that are separated from each other by a resin layer that comprises a cured polymeric resin, the improvement comprising protecting said composite structure against a lightning strike by forming a sufficient number of electrically conductive bridges across said resin layers to protect said composite structure from said lightning strike wherein said electrically conductive bridges comprise electrically conductive particles.
In a composite structure comprising a plurality of electrically conductive fibrous layers that are separated from each other by a resin layer that comprises a cured polymeric resin, wherein the improvement comprises forming a sufficient number of electrically conductive bridges between said fibrous layers to reduce the volume resistivity of said composite structure to 2.1 ohm-meters or less wherein said electrically conductive bridges comprise electrically conductive particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.