Improved unidirectional prepregs
AssigneeHexcel Composites Limited
InventorsLeela SEQUEIRA, Dana BLAIR, Benjamin MITCHELL, Michael SNAPE, Emily ROE
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Abstract
A curable prepreg comprising a structural layer of unidirectional electrically conductive fibres having interstices therebetween, having a first outer face and an essentially parallel second outer face, and comprising thermosetting resin impregnated within the structural layer and present within the interstices, and a first layer of thermosetting resin in contact with the first outer face of the structural layer, wherein the ratio of the electrical conductivity in the x-direction, parallel to the conductive fibres, to the electrical conductivity in the y-direction perpendicular to the conductive fibres, is less than 1000.
Claims21
A curable prepreg comprising a structural layer of unidirectional electrically conductive fibers having interstices therebetween, having a first outer face and an essentially parallel second outer face, and comprising thermosetting resin impregnated within the structural layer and present within the interstices, and a first layer of thermosetting resin in contact with the first outer face of the structural layer, wherein the ratio of the electrical conductivity in the x-direction, parallel to the conductive fibers, to the electrical conductivity in the y-direction perpendicular to the conductive fibers is less than 1000.
A curable prepreg according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fiber areal weight of the fibers in the structural layer is greater than 200 g/m2.
A curable prepreg according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the structural layer has a thickness, in the direction perpendicular to the first outer face and the second outer face, of greater than 300 μm.
A curable prepreg according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrically conductive fibers are selected from the list consisting of carbon fibers, metalized glass fibers, graphite fibers, metalized polymers and mixtures thereof.
(canceled)
A method of preparing a curable prepreg, said method comprising:
- i) providing a plurality of substantially parallel unidirectional electrically conductive fibers having interstices therebetween;
- ii) impregnating the fibers and the interstices with a thermosetting resin, thereby forming a structural layer having a first outer face and a substantially parallel second outer face;
- and
- iii) applying a first layer of thermosetting resin to the first outer face of the structural layer, thereby forming the curable prepreg;
- wherein the ratio of the electrical conductivity in the x-direction, parallel to the conductive fibers, to the electrical conductivity in the y-direction perpendicular to the conductive fibers is less than 1000.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.