Composite Materials
AssigneeCytec Technology Corp.
InventorsCarmelo Luca Restuccia, Emiliano Frulloni, Fiorenzo Lenzi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A composite material that includes a layer of reinforcing fibres impregnated with a curable resin matrix and a plurality of electrically conductive composite particles positioned adjacent or in proximity to the reinforcing fibres. Each of the electrically conductive composite particles is composed of a conductive component and a polymeric component, wherein the polymeric component includes one or more polymers that are initially in a solid phase and are substantially insoluble in the curable resin, but is able to undergo at least partial phase transition to a fluid phase during a curing cycle of the composite material.
Claims31
A curable composite material comprising:
- i) at least one structural layer of reinforcing fibres impregnated with a curable resin matrix;
- and
- ii) at least one electrically conductive composite particle adjacent or in proximity to said reinforcing fibres, said conductive composite particle comprising a conductive component and a polymeric component, wherein the polymeric component of the conductive composite particle comprises one or more polymers that are initially in a solid phase and substantially insoluble in the curable resin matrix prior to curing of the composite material, but is able to undergo at least partial phase transition to a fluid phase by dissolving in the resin matrix during a curing cycle of the composite material.
A curable composite laminate comprising:
- a structural layer of reinforcing fibres impregnated with a first curable resin matrix;
- and
- a layer of a second curable resin matrix in contact with one of two opposing surfaces of the structural layer,
- wherein said second curable resin matrix comprises a plurality of conductive composite particles and said first curable resin matrix is void of any composite conductive particle, and
- wherein each conductive composite particle comprises a conductive component and a polymeric component, the polymeric component comprises one or more polymers that are initially in a solid phase and substantially insoluble in the curable resin matrix prior to curing of the composite laminate, but is able to undergo at least partial phase transition to a fluid phase by dissolving in the second resin matrix during a curing cycle of the composite laminate.
A method of fabricating a composite structure comprising:
- (a) dispersing at least one conductive material in a polymeric material to form a composite blend;
- (b) optionally heat treating said blend;
- (c) forming micron-sized conductive composite particles from the composite blend, said particles having a mean particle size of less than 150 μm;
- (d) optionally heat treating the micron-sized conductive composite particles;
- and
- (e) forming a composite material comprising at least one layer of reinforcing fibres impregnated with a curable resin matrix, and a plurality of micron-sized conductive composite particles adjacent to the reinforcing fibres,
- wherein the polymeric material in each conductive composite particle comprises one or more polymers that are initially in a solid phase and substantially insoluble in the curable resin matrix prior to curing of the resin matrix, but is able to undergo at least partial phase transition to a fluid phase by dissolving in the resin matrix during a cure cycle of the composite materials.
A curable composite material comprising:
- at least one structural layer of reinforcing fibres impregnated with a curable resin matrix;
- and
- a nonwoven veil adjacent to said structural layer, said veil comprising conductive polymeric fibres arranged randomly, each of said conductive polymeric fibre comprising a conductive component and a polymeric component,
- wherein the polymeric component of each conductive polymeric fibre comprises one or more polymers that are initially in a solid phase and substantially insoluble in the curable resin matrix prior to curing of the curable resin matrix, but is able to undergo at least partial phase transition to a fluid phase upon curing of the resin matrix.
A structural preform adapted for resin infusion, said structural preform comprising:
- one or more layers of reinforcing fibres without resin;
- and
- at least one nonwoven veil comprised of conductive polymeric fibres arranged randomly, each of said conductive polymeric fibre comprising a conductive component and a polymeric component,
- wherein the polymeric component of each conductive polymeric fibre comprises one or more polymers that are initially in a solid phase and are substantially insoluble in a curable resin composition to be introduced into the preform by resin infusion, but is able to undergo at least partial phase transition to a fluid phase during a cure cycle of the resin-infused preform.
A structural fibre preform adapted for resin infusion, said structural fibre preform comprising reinforcing fibres in physical association with conductive polymeric fibres,
- wherein each of said conductive polymeric fibres comprising a conductive component and a polymeric component, and the polymeric component of each conductive polymeric fibre comprises one or more polymers that are initially in a solid phase and substantially insoluble in a curable resin composition to be introduced into the preform during resin infusion, but is able to undergo at least partial phase transition to a fluid phase during a curing cycle of the resin-infused preform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.