COMPOSITE MATERIALS

• US 20110017867A1
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hexcel Composites Limited (Hexcel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hexcel Composites Limited (Hexcel Corporation)
• Inventors: Cawse, John, Simmons, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,517,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/1.A
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/025 with particular filler
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/885 with incorporated metallic wires, nets, films or plates as lost heating elements B29C35/0272, B29C61/0625
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/02 on fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/205 Metallic coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/021 Fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/046 Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/02 Synthetic macromolecular fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/06 Vegetal fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/08 Animal fibres, e.g. hair, wool, silk
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/101 Glass fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/106 Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/14 Mixture of at least two fibres made of different materials
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/02 Synthetic macromolecular particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/10 Inorganic particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/101 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/107 Ceramic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/108 Carbon, e.g. graphite particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2270/00 Resin or rubber layer containing a blend of at least two different polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/202 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/302 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/50 : having particular mechanical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/558 : Impact strength, toughness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/718 : Weight, e.g. weight per square meter
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2419/00 : Buildings or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/00 : Electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/00 : Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 : next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/18 : characterised by the use of special additives
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/20 : using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/26 : using curing agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/28 : comprising synthetic resins not wholly covered by any one of the sub-groups B32B27/30 - B32B27/42
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/281 : comprising polyimides
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/285 : comprising polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/286 : comprising polysulphones; polysulfides
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/288 : comprising polyketones
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/34 : comprising polyamides
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 : comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/365 : comprising polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/38 : comprising epoxy resins
• 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 5/026 : Knitted fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/22 : characterised by the presence of two or more layers which are next to each other and are fibrous, filamentary, formed of particles or foamed layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles next to a foam layer B32B19/047, next to a layer made of particles B32B19/048, or next to a fibrous or filamentary layer B32B19/06; paper layer or cardboard layer next to a paper layer or cardboard layer B32B29/005, next to a foam layer B32B29/007, next to a fibrous or filamentary layer B32B29/02, or next to a particulate layer B32B29/04
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/24 : one layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer
• 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: B82Y 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/247 : using fibres of at least two types
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/249 : characterised by the additives used in the prepolymer mixture
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/00 : Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing conductors or cables
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 : Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249948 : Fiber is precoated

Abstract

A composite material, the composite material comprising a prepreg, said prepreg comprising at least one polymeric resin and at least one conductive fibrous reinforcement, electrically conducting particles dispersed in the polymeric resin and a top layer of a metal-coated carbon fibre comprising a further resin component, wherein the metal comprises one or more metals selected from nickel, copper, gold, platinum, palladium, indium and silver.

Claims

1. A composite material comprising:

i) a prepreg comprising at least one polymeric resin and at least one conductive fibrous reinforcement;

ii) electrically conductive particles dispersed in the polymeric resin; and

iii) a top layer of a metal-coated carbon fibre comprising a further resin component, wherein the metal comprises one or more metals selected from nickel, copper, gold, platinum, palladium, indium and silver.

6. A composite material according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive particles comprise metal-coated conducting particles or non-metallic conducting particles.

15. A composite material according to claim 6, wherein said non-metallic conducting particles are selected from carbon particles, graphite flakes, graphite powders, graphite particles, graphene sheets, fullerenes, carbon black, intrinsically conducting polymers, charge transfer complexes, or any combination thereof.

16. A composite material according to claim 1, wherein the composite material further comprises carbon nanomaterials.

17. A composite material according to claim 16, wherein the carbon nanomaterials are selected from carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, or a combination thereof.

23. A composite material according to claim 1, wherein the composite material includes additional ingredients selected from flexibilisers, toughening agents/particles, additional accelerators, core shell rubbers, flame retardants, wetting agents, pigments/dyes, flame retardants, plasticizers, UV absorbers, anti-fungal compounds, fillers, viscosity modifiers/flow control agents, tackifiers, stabilisers, inhibitors, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

24. A composite material according to claim 23, wherein the toughening agents/particles include any of the following either alone or in combination:

polyamides, copolyamides, polyimides, aramids, polyketones, polyetheretherketones, polyarylene ethers, polyesters, polyurethanes, polysulphones, high performance hydrocarbon polymers, liquid crystal polymers, polytetrafluoroethylene, elastomers, and segmented elastomers.

33. An aerospace article comprising a composite material according to claim 1 that has been cured.

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25. A method of making a composite material comprising:

i) providing a prepreg comprising at least one polymeric resin and at least one conductive fibrous reinforcement;

ii) dispersing electrically conductive particles in the polymeric resin; and

iii) adding a top layer of a metal-coated carbon fibre comprising a further resin component, wherein the metal comprises one or more metals selected from nickel, copper, gold, platinum, palladium, indium and silver.

31. A method according to claim 25 which includes the additional step of curing said polymeric resin and said further resin component.

32. A method according to claim 31 which includes the step of using said composite material to produce and aerospace article.

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34. A prepreg for use in making a composite material comprising one or more resin interleaf layers located between layers of electrically conductive fibers, said prepreg comprising:

a conductive fibrous layer comprising a plurality of electrically conductive fibers;

a resin layer located on one or both sides of said conductive fibrous layer, said resin layer comprising a polymeric resin and electrically conductive particles, said electrically conductive particles being of a sufficient size and aspect ratio to extend across said interleaf layers to provide a plurality of conductive bridges between said layers of electrically conductive fibers when said composite material is formed; and

a top layer comprising metal-coated carbon fibre and a further resin component.

35. A prepreg according to claim 34 wherein the largest cross-sectional dimension of at least 50 percent of said electrically conductive particles is within 10 micrometers of said interleaf thickness.

36. A lightning protected composite structure comprising:

a plurality of fibrous layers that are electrically conductive;

a resin layer located between said fibrous layers that comprises resin which is non-electrically conductive;

a plurality of electrically conductive bridges across said resin layer wherein each of said conductive bridges comprises an electrically conductive particle; and

a top layer comprising metal-coated carbon fibre and a further resin component.

37. A lightning protected structure according to claim 36 wherein said composite structure is part of an airplane.

38. A lightning protected structure according to claim 36 wherein at least 50 percent of the electrically conductive particles have a particle size that is within 10 microns of the thickness of the resin layer.

39. A lightning protected structure according to claim 36 wherein said conductive bridges comprise carbon particles.

40. In an airplane that comprises a composite structure comprising a plurality of electrically conductive fibrous layers that are separated from each other by a resin layer that comprises an electrically non-conductive resin, the improvement comprising protecting said airplane against a lightning strike by providing an outer layer comprising metal-coated carbon fibre and forming a sufficient number of electrically conductive bridges across said resin layers to protect said composite structure from said lightning strike wherein each of said electrically conductive bridges comprises an electrically conductive particle

41. An improved airplane according to claim 40 wherein at least 50 percent of the electrically conductive particles have a particle size that is within 10 microns of the thickness of the resin layer.

42. An improved airplane according to claim 40 wherein said conductive bridges comprise carbon particles.