Beta titanium-composite laminate

• US 6,194,081 B1
• Filed: 02/09/1999
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Salzburtg Trading Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ticomp, Inc.
• Inventors: Kingston, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, John J.
• Application Number:
  US09/247,647
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 428/608, 428/457, 428/622, 428/626, 428/634, 428/635, 428/614, 428/660, 428/670, 428/299.1, 428/299.4, 428/301.1, 428/301.4, 428/416, 428/418, 156/153, 156/281, 156/330, 156/307.7, 156/306.6, 156/306.9, 156/295, 156/314, 156/315, 156/307.3, 427/388.1, 427/376.8, 148/421, 148/516, 148/518, 148/537, 148/670, 148/527
• US Class Current: 428/608
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/10 Non-metallic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 59/50 Substantially rod-shaped bats for hitting a ball in the air, e.g. for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2038/0016 Abrading
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2038/0076 Curing, vulcanising, cross-linking
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/08 Reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2311/00 Metals, their alloys or their compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2311/18 Titanium
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0036 Heat treatment for heating or cooling of layers during lamination B32B37/06, B32B37/08
• 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: Y10T 428/12444 Embodying fibers interengaged or between layers [e.g., paper, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12569 Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12625 Free carbon containing component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12806 Refractory [Group IVB, VB, or VIB] metal-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12875 Platinum group metal-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249945 Carbon or carbonaceous fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31522 Next to metal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31529 Next to metal

Abstract

A method of preparing a beta titanium-composite laminate comprising providing a first layer of beta titanium alloy having a yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio and adhering a first layer of composite having a strength to modulus of elasticity ratio to the layer of beta titanium alloy, thereby forming a beta titanium-composite laminate, where the yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of beta titanium alloy matches the strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of composite such that the first layer of beta titanium alloy will reach its stress limit and the first layer of composite will reach its stress limits at about the same total strain. Also, a beta titanium-composite laminate comprising a first layer of beta titanium alloy having a yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio, and a first layer of composite having a strength to modulus of elasticity ratio adhered to the first layer of beta titanium alloy, where the yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of beta titanium alloy matches the strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of composite such that the first layer of beta titanium alloy will reach its stress limit and the first layer of composite will reach its stress limits at about the same total strain. Further, a structure such as an airplane part including a beta titanium-composite laminate according to the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of preparing a beta titanium-composite laminate comprising:

(a) providing a first layer of beta titanium alloy having a yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio;

(b) providing a first layer of composite having a yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio; and

(c) adhering the first layer of beta titanium alloy to the first layer of composite, thereby forming a beta titanium-composite laminate;

where the yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of beta titanium alloy matches the strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of composite such that the first layer of beta titanium alloy will reach its stress limit and the first layer of composite will reach its stress limits at about the same total strain.

2. The method of claim 1, where the beta titanium alloy provided is selected from the group consisting of (Ti-15V-3Cr-3Sn-3Al) and (Ti-15Mo-3Al-3Nb).

3. The method of claim 1, where the composite provided is a carbon fiber/epoxy composite.

4. The method of claim 1, where the composite provided is an S2-glass/epoxy composite.

5. The method of claim 1, where adhering comprises applying an adhesive to the beta titanium alloy.

6. The method of claim 1, where adhering comprises bonding the composite by heating the composite.

7. The method of claim 1, where the yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of beta titanium alloy is between about 5% of the strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of composite.

8. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising cold reducing the beta titanium alloy before adhering.

9. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising heating the beta titanium alloy at a temperature for a time to produce an aged beta titanium alloy before adhering.

10. The method of claim 9, where the temperature is approximately 950°

F. and the time is approximately 8 hours.

11. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising cold reducing the beta titanium alloy and then aging the beta titanium alloy before adhering.

12. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising coating the surface of the beta titanium alloy with a metal selected from the group consisting of platinum and the functional equivalent of platinum as a coating material, to produce a coated titanium alloy before adhering.

13. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising abrading the surface of the beta titanium alloy before adhering.

14. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising, after adhering, providing a second layer of beta titanium alloy having a yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio and adhering the second layer of beta titanium alloy to the beta titanium-composite laminate, where the yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the second layer of beta titanium alloy matches the strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of composite such that the second layer of beta titanium alloy will reach its stress limit and the first layer of composite will reach its stress limits at about the same total strain.

15. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising, after adhering, providing a second layer of composite having a strength to modulus of elasticity ratio and adhering the second layer of composite to the beta titanium-composite laminate, where the strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the second layer of composite matches the yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of beta titanium alloy such that the second layer of composite will reach its stress limit and the first layer of beta titanium alloy will reach its stress limits at about the same total strain.

16. A method of making an airplane part, comprising:

(a) preparing a beta titanium-composite laminate according to the method of claim 1; and

(b) incorporating the beta titanium-composite laminate into an airplane part.

17. The method of making an airplane part of claim 16, where the airplane part is selected from the group consisting of airplane skin, a spar, a plate and a tube.

18. A method of making an airplane, comprising:

(a) preparing an airplane part according to the method of claim 16; and

(b) incorporating the part into an airplane.

19. A method of making an airplane, comprising:

(a) providing a beta titanium-composite laminate according to the method of claim 1;

(b) utilizing the beta titanium-composite laminate to produce an airplane part; and

(c) incorporating the part into an airplane part.

20. The method of making an airplane of claim 19, where the air plane part produced is selected from the group consisting of airplane skin, a spar, a plate and a tube.

21. A beta titanium-composite laminate produced according to claim 1.

22. A beta titanium-composite laminate comprising a first layer of beta titanium alloy having a yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio, and a first layer of composite having a strength to modulus of elasticity ratio adhered to the first layer of beta titanium alloy;

where the yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of beta titanium alloy matches the strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of composite such that the first layer of beta titanium alloy will reach its stress limit and the first layer of composite will reach its stress limits at about the same total strain.

23. The beta titanium-composite laminate of claim 22, where the yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of beta titanium alloy is between about 5% of the strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of composite.

24. The beta titanium-composite laminate of claim 22, additionally comprising a layer of platinum between the first layer of beta titanium alloy and the first layer of composite.

25. The beta titanium-composite laminate of claim 22, additionally comprising a second layer of beta titanium alloy having a yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio adhered to the first layer of composite;

where the yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the second layer of beta titanium alloy matches the strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of composite such that the second layer of beta titanium alloy will reach its stress limit and the first layer of composite will reach its stress limits at about the same total strain.

26. The beta titanium-composite laminate of claim 25, where the yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the second layer of beta titanium alloy is between about 5% of the strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of composite.

27. The beta titanium-composite laminate of claim 25, additionally comprising a layer of platinum between the second layer of beta titanium alloy and the first layer of composite.

28. The beta titanium-composite laminate of claim 25, additionally comprising a second layer of composite having a yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio adhered to the first layer of beta titanium alloy;

where the yield strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the second layer of composite matches the strength to modulus of elasticity ratio of the first layer of beta titanium alloy such that the second layer of composite will reach its stress limit and the first layer of beta titanium alloy will reach its stress limits at about the same total strain.

29. The beta titanium-composite laminate of claim 25, additionally comprising a layer of platinum between the first layer of beta titanium alloy and the second layer of composite.

30. An airplane part comprising the beta titanium-composite laminate of claim 22.

31. An airplane comprising the beta titanium-composite laminate of claim 22.

32. An airplane part comprising the beta titanium-composite laminate of claim 25.

33. An airplane comprising the beta titanium-composite laminate of claim 25.