Methods and apparatus to monitor a process of depositing a constituent of a multi-constituent gas during production of a composite brake disc

• US 20070184179A1
• Filed: 02/09/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Parker, David, Waghray, Akshay, Steinke, Douglas, Linville, David
• Application Number:
  US11/350,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20070184179A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/8
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/045 Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to monitor a process of depositing a constituent of a multi-constituent gas are disclosed. The methods and apparatus may be used in a process for producing a carbon-carbon composite brake disc.

Claims

1. A method to monitor a process of depositing a constituent of a multi-constituent gas, the method comprising:

placing a porous material in a reactor having an outlet;

transmitting a multi-constituent gas to the reactor, wherein at least one constituent of the multi-constituent gas is deposited on the porous material to increase the density of the porous material;

monitoring, during the deposition of the at least one constituent, the multi-constituent gas in the outlet of the reactor to determine periodically the concentration of at least one remaining constituent of the multi-constituent gas;

determining, without removing the material from the reactor, when the material has attained a desired density based on a rate of change in the concentration of the at least one remaining constituent; and

terminating the process of depositing the at least one constituent of the multi-constituent gas in response to determining the material has attained the desired density.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the material of desired density is used as a composite friction material.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the reactor is a chemical vapor deposition furnace.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the remaining constituent is an aromatic compound.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the aromatic compound comprises at least one of benzene, toluene, or acetylene.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the remaining constituent is hydrogen.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises using a near-infrared spectrometer to determine the concentration of the at least one remaining constituent.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises using a mass spectrometer to determine the concentration of the at least one remaining constituent.

9. A method to as defined in claim 1, wherein the monitoring further comprises determining the concentrations of multiple constituents remaining in the multi-constituent gas.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the concentrations comprise the partial pressures of the multiple constituents remaining in the multi-constituent gas.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the remaining constituent is an aromatic compound.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the aromatic compound comprises at least one of benzene, toluene, or acetylene.

11. Apparatus to monitor a process of depositing a constituent of a multi-constituent gas, comprising:

a reactor having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the reactor is configured to deposit at least one constituent of a multi-constituent gas on a porous material within the reactor;

a monitor to determine during the deposition of the at least one constituent the concentration of at least one remaining constituent of the multi-constituent gas; and

a processing unit coupled to the monitor and configured to determine, without removing the material from the reactor, when the material has attained a desired density based on a rate of change in the concentration of the at least one remaining constituent.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the part of desired density is a composite friction material part.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the reactor is a chemical vapor deposition furnace.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the remaining constituent is hydrogen.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the monitoring device comprises a near-infrared spectrometer to determine the concentration of the at least one remaining constituent.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the monitoring device comprises a mass spectrometer to determine the concentration of the at least one remaining constituent.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the monitoring device determines the concentrations of multiple constituents remaining in the multi-constituent gas.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the concentrations comprise the partial pressures of the multiple constituents remaining in the multi-constituent gas.