NANOREINFORCED FILMS AND LAMINATES FOR AEROSPACE STRUCTURES

• US 20140011414A1
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX), ROHR Incorporated (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX), ROHR Incorporated (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Mazany, Anthony M., Kruckenberg, Teresa May, Pujar, Vijay V.
• Granted Patent: US 9,511,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 442/181
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/023 Two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/20 having particular electrical or magnetic properties, e.g. piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/71 Resistive to light or to UV
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/18 Aircraft blades, propellers B32B2603/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/16 characterised by features of a layer formed of particles, e.g. chips, powder or granules layer formed of natural mineral particles B32B19/00; layer being formed of wood fibres, chips or particles B32B21/02
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/24 one layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/0072 from composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2027/4736 from composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/20 Integral or sandwich constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/02 Lightning protectors; Static dischargers in general H01T
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249921 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/273 of coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/30 Woven fabric [i.e., woven strand or strip material]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/40 Knit fabric [i.e., knit strand or strip material]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/60 Nonwoven fabric [i.e., nonwoven strand or fiber material]

Abstract

A composite laminate for use on an external part of an aerospace vehicle has improved ultraviolet resistance and resistance to microcracking from thermal cycling. The laminate comprises a nanoreinforcement film, a support veil, and a composite layer. The laminate also can have a lightning strike protection layer and an external paint and primer. The nanoreinforcement film can comprise carbon nanomaterial and a polymer resin, and the composite layer has one or more layers of a reinforcement and a polymer resin. The carbon nanomaterial can be carbon nanofibers, and the nanoreinforcement film can have an areal weight of less than about 100 g/m2. The carbon nanomaterial can also comprise carbon nanofibers and carbon nanotubes.

Claims

1. A composite laminate for use on an external part of an aerospace vehicle, the laminate comprising:

a. a nanoreinforcement film comprising carbon nanomaterial and a polymer resin;

b. a support veil; and

c. a composite layer comprising one or more layers of a reinforcement and an additional polymer resin;

whereby the composite laminate has improved ultraviolet resistance and resistance to microcracking from thermal cycling.

2. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanomaterial are carbon nanofibers, and the nanoreinforcement film has an areal weight of less than about 100 g/m2.

3. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanomaterial comprise carbon nanofibers and carbon nanotubes.

4. The composite laminate of claim 3 wherein the carbon nanotubes are multi-walled carbon nanotubes and comprise up to about 0.7% by weight of the nanoreinforcement film, and the carbon nanofibers comprise up to about 5% by weight of the nanoreinforcement film.

5. The composite laminate of claim 3, wherein the carbon nanotubes are multi-walled carbon nanotubes comprise up to about 0.5% by weight of the nanoreinforcement film, and the carbon nanofibers comprise up to about 3% by weight of the nanoreinforcement film.

6. The composite laminate of claim 3, wherein the carbon nanofibers and nanotubes comprise about up to about 8% by weight of the nanoreinforcement film.

7. The composite laminate of claim 1, further comprising a lightning strike protection layer.

8. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the support veil is a nonwoven mat of carbon fibers and a binder, the support veil having an aerial weight of less than about 10 grams per square meter.

9. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement is a braid, knit, woven, non-woven, unidirectional fiber tow, or any combination thereof, the composite layer having an aerial weight of at least 70 grams per square meter.

10. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement is a woven carbon fabric, the additional polymer resin is an epoxy resin, the composite layer having an aerial weight of at least 70 grams per square meter.

11. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the support veil is fiberglass.

12. The composite laminate of claim 11, further comprising an aluminum lightning strike protection layer between the support veil layer and the composite layer.

13. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the laminate provides resistance to UV absorption from sunlight, or in a laboratory environment with a xenon arc lamp ranging from 250 to 400 nm, 340 nm nominal wavelength for 0.35 W/m2 exposure, with alternating light exposure and water spray, for up to 3000 hours.

14. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the nanoreinforcement film is the external, exposed layer of the external part of the aerospace vehicle, the support veil being adjacent to the, and the composite layer being adjacent to the support veil.

15. The composite laminate of claim 14, further comprising a lightning strike layer that is between the support veil and the composite layer.

16. The composite laminate of claim 14, further comprising a lightning strike layer that is between the nanoreinforcement film and the support veil.

17. The composite laminate of claim 1, further comprising one or more paint layers forming the external, exposed layer of the external part of the aerospace vehicle, the one or more paint layers being adjacent to the nanoreinforcement film, the nanoreinforcement film being adjacent to the support veil, and the support veil being adjacent to the composite layer.

18. The composite laminate of claim 17, further comprising a lightning strike layer that is between the support veil and the composite layer.

19. The composite laminate of claim 17, further comprising a lightning strike layer that is between the nanoreinforcement film and the support veil.

20. The composite laminate of claim 1 wherein the nanoreinforced film and support veil form a single layer material.