Aggregates and materials employing same
AssigneeUshers, Inc.
InventorMichael Q. Sheppard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aggregates, matrices, and composites exhibiting enhanced structural characteristics, together with methods and apparatuses for their manufacture, are disclosed. Many of these embodiments rely on three dimensional reticulation to enhance material property features, such as fracture toughness and resistance to thermal shock.
Claims33
A fabricated aggregate for use with other such aggregate in a structural matrix, the fabricated aggregate being characterized by more than six faces of identical size and shape, and by members extending outwardly in three dimensions, said aggregate being rigid, the aggregate including a plurality of faces, at least a pair of which intersect to bound a concave region, the aggregate including a plurality of such concave regions, wherein said concave regions serve to arrest propagation of matrix cracking when the aggregate is disposed in a structural matrix.
A fabricated aggregate for use with other such aggregate in a structural matrix, the aggregate being characterized by more than six three-sided surfaces, wherein edges of each of said three-sided surfaces are coplanar, the aggregate including a plurality of faces, at least a pair of which intersect to bound a concave region, the aggregate including a plurality of such concave regions, wherein said concave regions serve to arrest propagation of matrix cracking when the aggregate is disposed in a structural matrix.
A reinforced composite including a plurality of fabricated aggregate disposed in a structural matrix material, each of said plurality of aggregate being characterized by more than six faces of identical size and shape, and by members extending outwardly in three dimensions, each of said plurality of aggregate having a shape which prevents zero matrix packing, the plurality of aggregate being disposed within the structural matrix such that there exists a pair of aggregates between which an imaginary plane cannot be positioned without intersecting each of said aggregates at more than a single point, each of said plurality of aggregate including a plurality of faces, at least a pair of which intersect to bound a concave region, each aggregate including a plurality of such concave regions, the faces and associated concave regions of a plurality of said aggregate cooperating to arrest propagation of cracks in the matrix material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.