Polymer matrix composites and methods for manufacturing the same
AssigneeThe Florida International University Board of Trustees
InventorsArvind Agarwal, Luiza Benedetti, Abhijith Kunneparambil Sukumaran, Anil Lama, Denny John
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Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for manufacturing polymer matrix composites (PMCs). Polymers (e.g., polyimide (PI), polyether ether ketone (PEEK)) can be reinforced with a boron nitride (BN) material, such as one-dimensional (1D) BN nanotubes (BNNTs) and/or two-dimensional (2D) BN nanoparticles (BNNPs). The PMCs can be manufactured using cold spray technology, which enables rapid layer deposition and additive manufacturing of complex polymer composite parts using significantly lower pressures than sintering uses.
Claims20
A polymer matrix composite (PMC), comprising:
- a polymer;
- and
- a boron nitride (BN) material dispersed in, and reinforcing, the polymer,
- the BN material comprising at least one of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) and boron nitride nanoparticles (BNNPs), and
- the PMC being formed by a cold spraying technique.
A method of forming a polymer matrix composite (PMC), the method comprising:
- forming a composite powder comprising a polymer and a boron nitride (BN) material;
- and
- performing a cold spraying process, using the composite powder as a feedstock for the cold spraying process, to form the PMC on a substrate,
- the BN material comprising at least one of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) and boron nitride nanoparticles (BNNPs).
A method of forming a polymer matrix composite (PMC), the method comprising:
- dissolving a BN powder comprising a BN material in a solvent to provide a solution;
- performing an ultrasonication process on the solution to break agglomeration and disperse the BN material;
- after performing the ultrasonication process, combining the BN material with a polymer powder that comprises a polymer, and performing ball milling on the BN material and the polymer powder to give a composite powder that comprises the polymer and the BN material;
- and
- performing a cold spraying process, using the composite powder as a feedstock for the cold spraying process, to form the PMC on a substrate,
- the BN material comprising at least one of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) and boron nitride nanoparticles (BNNPs),
- the composite powder having a particle size in a range of from 20 micrometers (μm) to 50 μm,
- the polymer being polyimide (PI) or polyether ether ketone (PEEK),
- a weight percentage of the BN material in the PMC being in a range of from 0.1 wt% to 10 wt%,
- the weight percentage of the BN material in the PMC being the same as a weight percentage of the BN material in the composite powder, and
- the substrate having undergone no blasting, polishing, preheating, or other pretreatment prior to the forming of the PMC on the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.