Toughened resin fiber laminates with titanium particles

• US 8,512,507 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Gammon, Luther M., Lemery, Steven G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orlando, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, DANIEL H.
• Application Number:
  US13/247,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 156/276, 156/330, 428/147, 428/407, 523/458
• US Class Current: 156/330
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 2003/0881 Titanium
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/04 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/08 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 7/06 Elements
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 63/00 Compositions of epoxy resins; Compositions of derivatives of epoxy resins
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24405 Polymer or resin [e.g., natural or synthetic rubber, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249928 Fiber embedded in a ceramic, glass, or carbon matrix
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249939 Two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24994 Fiber embedded in or on the surface of a polymeric matrix
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2998 including synthetic resin or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31515 As intermediate layer

Abstract

A composite structure includes at least one resin matrix layer having a resin material and a plurality of fiber elements and a plurality of titanium particles provided in the resin material. A method of toughening a resin matrix layer is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

adding a plurality of titanium particles in powder form to a number of surfaces of fiber elements of a preform, wherein the titanium particles comprise 99-100% commercially-pure titanium sponge particles; and

impregnating the preform and plurality of titanium particles with resin to form a composite structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of titanium particles have a diameter of from about 1 micron to about 90 microns.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adding a plurality of titanium particles comprises partitioning the plurality of titanium particles between layers of plies of the preform.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein resin impregnated titanium particles between layers of plies in the composite structure comprise a number of resin matrix layers and wherein corresponding titanium particles comprise about 0.3% to 30% by volume of each corresponding resin matrix layer of the number of resin matrix layers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fiber elements comprise at least one of carbon fibers, glass fibers, aramid fibers, boron fibers, and thermoplastic fibers.