Composite matrix with oriented whiskers
AssigneeLTV Aerospace and Defense Company
InventorJeffrey A. Giacomel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A composite material manufacturing process and resulting structure is provided to include high strength material whiskers (20) having a characteristic orientation when placed in an electromagnetic field (22). In one embodiment, whiskers (20) are disposed between lamina (10 and 15) and oriented generally perpendicular to the fiber layers (14 and 18). The whisker (20) orientation is maintained during a curing cycle for the respective matrices (12 and 16) wherein the matrix viscosity allows the whiskers (20) to orient in response to the applied electromagnetic field (22). The whiskers (20) retain their orientation in the resulting laminate to provide improved structural integrity for the laminate.
Claims18
A process for manufacturing a high strength laminated composite structural material, comprising the steps of:
- providing material whiskers characteristically having a preferred orientation in a selected electromagnetic field;
- placing fibers of a material useful in composite lamina in a substantially overlapping relationship having a viscous material therebetween to form a composite matrix;
- disposing said whiskers in said viscous material;
- applying said selected electromagnetic field about said whiskers in a shape effective to selectively orient said whiskers for directionally enhanced interlamina strength and integrity;
- and
- curing said composite matrix in said electromagnetic field to form said laminate while retaining said whiskers in said selected direction.
A process for manufacturing a high strength structural lamination of composite materials, comprising the steps of:
- forming a plurality of lamina in a selected structural configuration, each of said lamina having a fiber layer disposed in a matrix with material whiskers therebetween;
- forming an electromagnetic field about said structural configuration in a shape effective to selectively orient said whiskers for directionally enhanced interlamina strength and integrity;
- and
- curing said matrix in said electromagnetic field to form said plurality of lamina to a laminate effective to retain said selectively oriented whiskers in said orientation.
A high strength laminated composite structural material comprising:
- at least two fiber element layers disposed in parallel overlapping relationship within a surrounding matrix;
- and
- whiskers of a selected material adapted to be responsive to an applied shaped electromagnetic field and spaced between said fiber element layers in said matrix, said whiskers having a selected orientation in said matrix from said shaped field effective to directionally enhance strength and integrity of said laminated material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.