Abstract:
High strength foam-filled materials (10) and methods for their production are disclosed. The high strength materials (10) include cellular structures comprising a plurality of open-ended cells (12, 14, 16, 18) containing polycyanurate foam (22). The polycyanurate foam-filled cellular structures have synergistically high mechanical properties and improved resistance to moisture. When cyanate ester foamable precursors in the form of tough films are foamed to fill honeycomb cells, the resulting foam-filled honeycomb has uniformly fine foam cell structure and improved bonding between the foam and the honeycomb.
Abstract:
Honeycomb fabricated of non-crosslinked polymer is prepared by impregnating a fiber web with a linear prepolymer which is soluble in an organic solvent, and which is readily converted by thermal curing in the absence of a crosslinking agent to an insoluble form with a glass transition temperature exceeding 200 DEG C, preferably exceeding 250 DEG C. The preferred prepolymer is the product of diaminodiphenylsulfone and trimellitic anhydride, and forms a poly(amide-imide) upon cure. A process for forming the impregnated honeycomb is also disclosed, which involves impregnating ribbons or sheets, forming them into stacks bonded together at node lines, expanding the stacks into honeycomb structures, and heat soaking the expanded structures to cure the resin and stabilize the structure.
Abstract:
Thermosetting resins for use in high performance fiber-reinforced composites are toughened without compromising their processibility by the inclusion of micron-sized particles of thermoplastic material which are solid at ambient temperatures but solubilize in the resins at a temperature below the gel temperature of the thermosetting resin. By appropriate selection of the solubilization temperature (or temperature range) of the thermoplastic material, one achieves a composite product having intralaminar or interlaminar toughness emphasized, or a combination of both. The invention is of particular utility when applied to bismaleimide resin systems.
Abstract:
Plastic foam materials having a high degree of structural integrity, cell network uniformity and small cell size are obtained from (meth)acrylic acid and (meth)acrylonitrile by incorporating acrylamide as a comonomer additive within certain ranges of concentration. Incorporation of the latter together with conventional additives normally used in preparing foams from the principal monomers helps to avoid preliminary precipitation during the polymerization process, and the gradients in the polymer microstructure which frequently result and cause internal stresses and weaknesses in the ultimate product.
Abstract:
A multiple-end weft-insertion process which is capable of achieving extremely high yarn density which is uniform in plys of structural fabrics is disclosed, making use of conventional machinery and systems. Yarn (104) is transferred from a shuttle (100) to yarn transfer elements (108) spaced a sufficient distance apart to avoid damage to the yarn, and then transferred to yarn holding elements (110). Each successive pass of the shuttle is adjusted by moving the yarn transfer element parallel to the holding elements, so as to overlap each band deposited by the shuttle. The amount of movement necessary to achieve any desired density is calculated according to established parameters.
Abstract:
A blanket (10) formed of heat and flame resistant materials and adapted to be placed adjacent to a structural part (24) to isolate it thermally from other, adjacent structural parts (22). The blanket (10) is comprised of a layer (12) of insulation material coupled to a layer (18) of fibrous material impregnated with a thermosetting resin. When the blanket (10) is in a desired shape, the resin is cured to render the layer (18) of fibrous material substantially rigid so it can support itself as well as the layer (12) of insulating material coupled to it. Layers (14) and (16) of glass fabric are placed on opposed sides of the layer (12) of insulating material to keep the insulating material intact. In one application, the blanket (10) is molded in the form of a box-like structure which can at least partially surround a structural part, such as an aircraft engine (24), to form a fireshield to isolate the engine (24) from adjacent structural partsof an aircraft. In another application, the resin-impregnated layer (18) of fibrous material of the blanket (10) is placed adjacent to one surface of a structural part and bonded thereto during the curing of the resin to thereby form a fireshield attached to the structural part. In a third application, the resin-impregnated layer (18) of fibrous material is used without the layer (12) of insulating material and, when the resin is cured, the layer (18) is rigid and forms a box-like structure for at least a partially enclosing a structural part.
Abstract:
A composition particularly appropriate for retention materials, prints for external prostheses or other fixing elements, is comprised of 90 to 60 parts by weight of a cyclic ester polymer having a molecular weight comprised between 20000 and 300000 and 10 to 40 parts by weight of ethylene copolymer-vinyl acetate having a viscosity index comprised between 0.5 and 12 and having a vinyl acetate content from 10 to 60 % by weight.
Abstract:
The invention is directed to carbon fibers having high tensile strength. The invention also provides a method and apparatus for making the carbon fibers. The method comprises advancing a precursor fiber through a plurality of passes through an oxidation oven, where stretching during the initial passes is minimized or eliminated entirely, or made negative, followed by controlled stretching over a series of passes, using rollers of increasing speed.
Abstract:
Acoustic honeycomb structures that include cells in which a friction-locking insertion process is used to locate acoustic barriers within honeycomb cells to provide multiple degree of freedom (MDOF) acoustic liners having a variety of acoustic resonator depths. Solid polymer films are formed into acoustic barrier caps. The acoustic barrier caps are friction-locked and bonded to cell walls at one or more cell depths to form acoustically reflective hard walls that form effective bottom ends for acoustic resonators.
Abstract:
A thermal panel having a high temperature side located nearest a source of heat and a low temperature side. The thermal panel includes a corrugated composite material core having hot side ridges and cold side ridges. A hot side skin is attached to the hot side ridges to form a plurality of first cells. A cold side skin is attached to the cold side ridges to form a plurality of second cells. The first cells and second cells are substantially filled with an insulating material that has a thermal conductivity which is lower than the thermal conductivity of the composite material.