Carbon fiber preforms

• US 10,300,631 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2015
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: La Forest, Mark L., Fryska, Slawomir T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Camie S
• Application Number:
  US14/954,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20170151712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 11/06 by moulding the material
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 11/16 comprising fillers or reinforcement non-woven fabrics per se D04H1/00, D04H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/165 using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/06 Fibrous reinforcements only
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0058 Liquid or visquous
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/14 oriented
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2279/00 Use of polymers having nitrogen, with or without oxygen or carbon only, in the main chain not provided for in groups B29K2261/00 - B29K2277/00, as reinforcement
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2307/04 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/005 Oriented
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/16 Frictional elements, e.g. brake or clutch linings
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 18/00 Layered products essentially comprising ceramics, e.g. refractory products
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/023 Two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/046 Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/10 Inorganic particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/102 Oxide or hydroxide
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/108 Carbon, e.g. graphite particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/302 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/50 : having particular mechanical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/554 : Wear resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/714 : Inert, i.e. inert to chemical degradation, corrosion
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/722 : Non-uniform density
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2475/00 : Frictional elements
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/18 : Aircraft blades, propellers B32B2603/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 : of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 : next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/42 : comprising condensation resins of aldehydes, e.g. with phenols, ureas or melamines
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 : Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/024 : Woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/12 : characterised by the relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers, e.g. the fibres or filaments being parallel or perpendicular to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 : another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/007 : comprising carbon, e.g. graphite, composite carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 : Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 : Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 : for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 : Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 : Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3232 : Titanium oxides or titanates, e.g. rutile or anatase
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3418 : Silicon oxide, silicic acids, or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. silica sol, fused silica, silica fume, cristobalite, quartz or flint glass constituents C04B2235/36
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3826 : Silicon carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/424 : Carbon black
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/425 : Graphite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/526 : characterised by the length of the fibers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5264 : characterised by the diameter of the fibers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5268 : Orientation of the fibers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5272 : Fibers of the same material with different length or diameter
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/6026 : Computer aided shaping, e.g. rapid prototyping
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/614 : Gas infiltration of green bodies or pre-forms
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/385 : Carbon or carbon composite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/584 : the different additives being fibers or whiskers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/586 : by joining layers or articles of the same composition but having different densities
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/83 : Carbon fibres in a carbon matrix
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2200/0047 : Ceramic composite, e.g. C/C composite infiltrated with Si or B, or ceramic matrix infiltrated with metal
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2200/006 : containing fibres or particles
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 65/126 : the material being of low mechanical strength, e.g. carbon, beryllium; Torque transmitting members therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 69/023 : Composite materials containing carbon and carbon fibres or fibres made of carbonizable material

Abstract

In some examples, a method including depositing a resin and a plurality of carbon fibers via a print head of a three-dimensional printing system to form a carbon fiber preform including a plurality of individual carbon fiber layers, wherein each individual layer of the plurality of individual carbon fiber layers includes the resin and carbon fibers, and wherein the carbon fiber preform exhibits at least one of a non-uniform composition of the resin within the preform, different types of the carbon fibers within the preform, or non-uniform fiber orientation within the preform.

Claims

1. A method comprising depositing a resin and a plurality of carbon fibers via a print head of a three-dimensional printing system to form a carbon fiber preform including a plurality of individual carbon fiber layers, wherein each individual layer of the plurality of individual carbon fiber layers includes the resin and carbon fibers, and wherein the carbon fiber preform exhibits at least one of:

a non-uniform composition of the resin within the preform, or

different types of the carbon fibers within the preform.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the non-uniform composition of the resin within the preform or the different types of the carbon fibers within the preform is configured to at least one of modify a friction property, increase a density, or increase a strength of a densified carbon-carbon composite material formed from the carbon fiber preform.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of individual carbon fiber layers includes a first carbon fiber layer and a second carbon fiber layer, wherein the resin in the first carbon fiber layer comprises a first resin composition and the resin in the second carbon fiber layer comprises a second resin composition that is different than the first resin composition such that the preform exhibits the non-uniform composition of the resin within the preform.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first carbon fiber layer is nearer a center of the preform compared to the second carbon fiber layer, wherein the first resin composition provides for a higher carbon yield compared to the second resin composition.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first carbon fiber layer is nearer a friction surface of the preform compared to the second carbon fiber layer, wherein the first resin composition includes a pitch mixed with at least one of phenolic resin or epoxy resin.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first resin composition includes approximately 10 weight percent to approximately 100 weight percent of the pitch and up to approximately 90 weight percent of the at least one of the phenolic resin or the epoxy resin.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of individual carbon fiber layers includes a first carbon fiber layer and a second carbon fiber layer, wherein the plurality of carbon fibers in the first carbon fiber layer exhibit a first fiber orientation and the plurality of carbon fibers in the second carbon fiber layer exhibit a second fiber orientation that is different than the first fiber orientation such that the preform exhibits a non-uniform fiber orientation within the preform.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first carbon fiber layer is nearer a friction surface of the preform compared to the second carbon fiber layer, wherein the plurality of carbon fibers in the first carbon fiber layer extend in substantially an x-y plane of the preform in the first fiber orientation, and wherein the plurality of carbon fibers in the second carbon fiber layer extend out of the x-y plane of the preform into a z-axis direction in the second fiber orientation.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first carbon fiber layer is nearer a center of the preform compared to the second carbon fiber layer, wherein the plurality of carbon fibers in the first carbon fiber layer define a first fiber volume fraction in the first fiber orientation, and wherein the plurality of carbon fibers in the second carbon fiber layer define a second fiber volume fraction in the second fiber orientation that is less than the first fiber volume fraction.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of individual carbon fiber layers includes a first carbon fiber layer and a second carbon fiber layer, wherein the plurality of carbon fibers in the first carbon fiber layer comprise a first type of carbon fiber and the plurality of carbon fibers in the second carbon fiber layer comprise a second type of carbon fiber that is different than the first type of carbon fiber such that a composition of fibers in the first carbon fiber layer is different that a composition of fibers in the second carbon fiber layer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first carbon fiber layer is nearer a friction surface of the preform compared to the second carbon fiber layer, wherein the first type of carbon fiber is polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber and the second type of carbon fiber is pitch fiber.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first carbon fiber layer is nearer a center of the preform compared to the second carbon fiber layer, wherein the first type of carbon fiber exhibits a greater density than the second type of carbon fiber.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

carbonizing the carbon fiber preform to form a carbonized carbon fiber preform; and

densifying the carbonized carbon fiber preform to form a densified carbon-carbon composite material.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the resin comprises at least one of coal tar pitch, petroleum isotropic pitch, or petroleum mesophase pitch.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the resin and the plurality of carbon fibers via the print head of the three-dimensional printing system comprises:

heating the resin to form a molten resin;

mixing the plurality of carbon fibers into the molten resin to form a composite mixture; and

depositing the composite mixture via the print head of the three-dimensional printing system.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the preform exhibits both the non-uniform composition of the resin within the preform and the different types of the carbon fibers within the preform.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the resin and the plurality of carbon fibers via the print head of the three-dimensional printing system comprises changing a composition of carbon fibers being deposited such that at least two portions of the preform comprise different compositions of carbon fibers.