Compositionally modulated composite materials and methods for making the same

• US 9,115,439 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Modumetal Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Modumetal Incorporated
• Inventors: Whitaker, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ripa, Bryan D.
• Application Number:
  US12/345,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20090130425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,430 Days
• Field of Search: 205/104, 205/109, 205/176, 205/150
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 49/10 made of non-metallic materials, other than wood
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/10 Non-metallic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/00 Layered products comprising a layer of metal
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/015 the said other metal being copper or nickel or an alloy thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/10 Inorganic particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/02 characterised by structural features of a fibrous or filamentary layer layer formed of metallic wires B32B15/02; layer formed of natural mineral fibres B32B19/02; layer formed of wood fibres B32B21/02
• 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 5/18 characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 19/00 Alloys based on nickel or cobalt
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 19/03 based on nickel
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 19/07 based on cobalt
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 15/02 Combined electrolytic and electrophoretic processes with charged materials
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/08 Electroplating with moving electrolyte e.g. jet electroplating using locally applied jets of electrolyte C25D5/026
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/10 Electroplating with more than one layer of the same or of different metals for bearings C25D7/10
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/18 Electroplating using modulated, pulsed or reversing current
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 7/00 Electroplating characterised by the article coated
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 7/04 Tubes; Rings; Hollow bodies
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/0457 Metal layers in combination with additional layers made of fibres, fabrics or plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/0478 Fibre- or fabric-reinforced layers in combination with plastics layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12028 : Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12479 : Porous [e.g., foamed, spongy, cracked, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24997 : Of metal-containing material

Abstract

A light-weight composite material with enhanced structural characteristics includes, in one embodiment, a compositionally modulated nanolaminate coating electrically deposited into an open, accessible void structure of a porous substrate. As a result of including a nanolaminate within the void structure, the composite can include a greater amount of nanolaminate material per unit volume than can be achieved by depositing a nanolaminate material solely on a two-dimensional surface. In addition, the nanolaminate material as well as other material electrodeposited to form the composite is compositionally modulated so that discontinuities between layers are minimized and potentially eliminated. The light-weight but structurally enhanced composite material can be used in a number of different applications including, but not limited to, ballistic applications (e.g., armor panels or tank panels), automotive protection applications (e.g., car door panels, racing shells) and sporting equipment applications (e.g., golf club shafts and tennis racket frames).

Claims

1. A method for forming a composite using electrodeposition, the method comprising:

providing a bath including at least two electrodepositable components;

connecting a porous preform including accessible interior void structures to a first electrode;

inserting the porous preform into the bath;

inserting a second electrode into the bath; and

applying time varying voltage or current to the first electrode where the time varying voltage or current oscillates at least for two cycles to deposit a compositionally modulated material within the accessible interior void structure of the porous preform;

wherein said porous preform is a graded element; and

wherein said graded element comprises a particle bed having layers of different sized particles or a foam having layers consisting of different porosities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said graded element is a foam having layers consisting of different porosities.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein after said compositionally modulated material is deposited, an additional or capping layer is deposited to seal off the interior porous structure.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the compositionally modulated material is graded to minimize or mask composition discontinuities between the layers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein after said compositionally modulated material is deposited, an additional or capping layer is deposited to seal off the interior porous structure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the compositionally modulated material includes a metal matrix and a plurality of electrodepo sited nanosized particles with an average grain size from about 10 to 200 nm.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein after said compositionally modulated material is deposited, an additional or capping layer is deposited to seal off the interior porous structure.

8. The method of claim 1, where the porous preform comprises a non-conductive material.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrodeposited compositionally modulated material includes at least one portion consisting of a plurality of composition cycles having wavelengths between about 200 nm and 1 nm.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the wavelengths within the at least one portion are substantially equivalent.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the wavelengths vary continuously within the at least one portion.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrodeposited compositionally modulated material includes regions of deposition including a wavelength greater than 200 nm.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrodeposited compositionally modulated material exhibits an increase in elastic modulus.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrodeposited compositionally modulated material exhibits an increased strength.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrodeposited compositionally modulated material exhibits an increased hardness.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrodeposited compositionally modulated material includes at least one of nickel, iron, copper, cobalt, gold, silver, platinum and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the compositionally modulated material comprises a compositionally modulated alloy comprising Ni and Fe.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the electrodeposited compositionally modulated material varies throughout the depth of the porous preform.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the electrodeposited compositionally modulated material includes at least one portion consisting of a plurality of composition cycles having wavelengths between about 200 nm and 1 nm.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrodeposited compositionally modulated material includes regions of deposition including a wavelength greater than 200 nm.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrodeposited compositionally modulated material includes at least one of nickel, iron, copper, cobalt, gold, silver, platinum and combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the compositionally modulated material comprises a compositionally modulated alloy comprising Ni and Fe.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein said graded element is a particle bed having layers of different sized particles.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein after said compositionally modulated material is deposited, an additional or capping layer is deposited to seal off the interior porous structure.