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AssigneeFoster-Miller, Inc.
InventorsRichard W. Lusignea, Joseph J. Stanco, Uday Kashalikar
Estimating the term…
Film-based composite structures meet the requirements of highly weight-efficient SDI space-based systems. These structures are rigid, lightweight, dimensionally stable, and possess a high degree of structural damping. Thin-walled structures (wall thickness less than 50 .mu.) made from self-reinforced ordered-polymer films overcome drawbacks of fiber-reinforced composites, and provide resistance to microcracking, ply delamination and impact. They have high temperature capability (over 300.degree. C.), low temperature (cryogenic) capability and the capability for hardening and survivability. The modulus and dimensional stability of film-based ultralightweight honeycomb sandwich structures is better than currently possible with aluminum or fiber-reinforced composite materials. Other thin-walled structures such as tension web beams and thin facesheets also show similar stiffness-to-weight advantages over current materials.
An ultralightweight (ULW) shaped structural member formed from a single-layer biaxially-oriented polymer film comprising an ordered rod-shaped extended chain polymer, wherein said polymer is an aromatic heterocyclic polymer selected from the group consisting of poly-(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) and poly-(p-phenylene benzobisthiozole), wherein said polymer has a binder interpenetrated in the micro-infrastructure, the polymer being infiltrated with the binder to form a microcomposite of the polymer and binder, and wherein said structural member is a honeycomb structure comprising a honeycomb core formed from said film.
A process for thermally shaping a honeycomb core which comprises a plurality of substantially hexagonal cells each defining a common cell axis direction, said process comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.