Braided Composite Products Comprising Thermoplastic Material
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJacquelynn Xueting Tian, Christopher Alan Howe, Adrian Paul Mouritz, Michelle Louise Gee, Stuart Arthur Bateman
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Abstract
A braided carbon structure and methods of forming and processing are presented. The braided carbon structure comprises axial tows comprising carbon filaments; braid tows at a braid angle relative to the axial tows, the braid tows comprising carbon filaments; and thermoplastic material within at least one of the axial tows or the braid tows, wherein the thermoplastic material makes up less than 40 of each of the at least one of the axial tows or the braid tows.
Claims30
A braided carbon structure comprising:
- axial tows comprising carbon filaments;
- braid tows at a braid angle relative to the axial tows, the braid tows comprising carbon filaments;
- and
- thermoplastic material within at least one of the axial tows or the braid tows, wherein the thermoplastic material makes up less than 40% by volume of each of the at least one of the axial tows or the braid tows.
A method of forming a braided composite product:
- braiding together carbon filaments and thermoplastic filaments to form a braided carbon structure;
- applying at least one of heat or pressure to the braided carbon structure to form a braided carbon preform;
- and
- resin infusing the braided carbon preform with thermoset resin;
- and
- curing the thermoset resin within the braided carbon preform to form the braided composite product.
(canceled)
A method of forming a braided composite product, the method comprising:
- braiding axial tows and braid tows into a braided carbon structure, at least one of the axial tows or the braid tows comprising thermoplastic filaments, the thermoplastic filaments comprising less than 40% in each of the at least one of the axial tows or the braid tows.
(canceled)
A method of improving material characteristics of braided carbon materials, the method comprising:
- applying heat and pressure to a braided carbon structure comprising tows having less than 40% thermoplastic filament to reduce a per-ply thickness of the braided carbon structure and form a braided carbon preform.
A method of improving material characteristics of braided carbon materials, the method comprising:
- infusing a braided carbon preform having a thermoplastic material with a thermoset resin;
- and
- curing the thermoset resin within the braided carbon preform such that heat applied during infusing and curing softens the thermoplastic material within the braided carbon preform to toughen a resulting braided composite product.
-27. (canceled)
A method of forming a braided composite product:
- braiding together carbon filaments and thermoplastic filaments to form a braided carbon structure;
- applying at least one of heat or pressure to the braided carbon structure to form a braided carbon preform;
- and
- forming a toughened braided composite product from the braided carbon preform.
(canceled)
A triaxial braided carbon structure comprising:
- axial tows, each axial tow formed of a respective thermoplastic filament with a cross-sectional dimension not exceeding 2 mm;
- and
- braid tows at a braid angle relative to the axial tows, the braid tows comprising carbon filaments.
(canceled)
A braided carbon structure comprising:
- a first set of tows comprising carbon filaments;
- a second set of tows at an angle relative to the first set of tows, the second set of tows comprising carbon filaments;
- and
- thermoplastic material within at least one of the first set of tows or the second set of tows, wherein the thermoplastic material makes up less than 40% by volume of each of the at least one of the first set of tows or the second set of tows.
A braided carbon preform stabilized for handling comprising:
- a first set of tows comprising carbon filaments;
- a second set of tows at an angle relative to the first set of tows, the second set of tows comprising carbon filaments;
- and
- thermoplastic material within at least one of the first set of tows or the second set of tows softened and compressed to stabilize the first set of tows and second set of tows relative to each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.