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At least 19 records

Leaf spring made of fiber-reinforced resin

A leaf spring made of a matrix reinforced by at least two types of reinforcing fibers with different Young's modulus is described in this Japanese patent. At least two layers of reinforcing fibers are formed by partially arranging the reinforcing fibers toward the direction of the thickness of the leaf spring. A mixture of different types of reinforced fibers is used at the area of boundary between the two layers of reinforced fibers. The ratio of blending of each type of reinforced fiber is frequently changed to eliminate the parts where discontinuous stress may be applied to the leaf spring. The objective of this invention is to prevent the rapid change in Young's modulus at the boundary area between each layer of reinforced fibers in the leaf spring.

Hori, J.↗

Seamless metal-clad fiber-reinforced organic matrix composite structures and process for their manufacture

A metallic outer sleeve is provided which is capable of enveloping a hollow metallic inner member having continuous reinforcing fibers attached to the distal end thereof. The inner member is then introduced into outer sleeve until inner member is completely enveloped by outer sleeve. A liquid matrix member is then injected into space between inner member and outer sleeve. A pressurized heat transfer medium is flowed through the inside of inner member, thereby forming a fiber reinforced matrix composite material. The wall thicknesses of both inner member and outer sleeve are then reduced to the appropriate size by chemical etching, to adjust the thermal expansion coefficient of the metal-clad composite structure to the desired value. thereby forming a fiber reinforced matrix composite material. The wall thicknesses of both inner member and outer sleeve are then reduced to the appropriate size by chemical etching, to adjust the thermal expansion coefficient of the metal-clad composite structure to the desired value. The novelty of this invention resides in the development of a efficient method of producing seamless metal clad fiber reinforced organic matrix composite structures.

Bluck, Raymond M.↗

Role of interfacial thermal barrier in the transverse thermal conductivity of uniaxial SiC fiber-reinforced reaction bonded silicon nitride

The transverse thermal conductivity of reaction-bonded Si3N4 is significantly affected by an interfacial barrier at the interface formed with SiC reinforcing fibers. A comparative study of composites with and without reinforcing-fiber carbon coatings found the coating to reduce effective thermal conductivity by a factor of about 2; this, however, is partially due to a thermal expansion-mismatch gap between fiber and matrix. HIPing of composites with coated fibers led to an enhancement of thermal conductivity via improved interfacial thermal contact and greater grain size and crystallinity of the fibers.

Bhatt, H.↗

Process for the manufacture of seamless metal-clad fiber-reinforced organic matrix composite structures

A process for producing seamless metal-clad composite structures includes providing a hollow, metallic inner member and an outer sleeve to surround the inner member and define an inner space therebetween. A plurality of continuous reinforcing fibers is attached to the distal end of the outside diameter of the inner member, and the inner member is then introduced, distal end first, into one end of the outer sleeve. The inner member is then moved, distal end first, into the outer sleeve until the inner member is completely enveloped by the outer sleeve. A liquid matrix material is then injected into the space containing the reinforcing fibers between the inner member and the outer sleeve. Next a pressurized heat transfer medium is passed through the inner member to cure the liquid matrix material. Finally, the wall thickness of both the inner member and the outer sleeve are reduced to desired dimensions by chemical etching, which adjusts the thermal expansion coefficient of the metal-clad composite structure to a desired value.

Bluck, Raymond M.↗

Fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin matrix composites

Polyimide polymer composites having a combination of enhanced thermal and mechanical properties even when subjected to service temperatures as high as 700.degree. F. are described. They comprise (a) from 10 to 50 parts by weight of a thermoplastic polyimide resin prepared from 2,2-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]hexafluoropropane and (b) from 90 to 50 parts by weight of continuous reinforcing fibers, the total of (a) and (b) being 100 parts by weight. Composites based on polyimide resin formed from 2,2-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]hexafluoropropane and pyromellitic dianhydride and continuous carbon fibers retained at least about 50% of their room temperature shear strength after exposure to 700.degree. F. for a period of 16 hours in flowing air. Preferably, the thermoplastic polyimide resin is formed in situ in the composite material by thermal imidization of a corresponding amide-acid polymer prepared from 2,2-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]hexafluoropropane. It is also preferred to initially size the continuous reinforcing fibers with up to about one percent by weight of an amide-acid polymer prepared from 2,2-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]hexafluoropropane. In this way imidization at a suitable elevated temperature results in the in-situ formation of a substantially homogeneous thermoplastic matrix of the polyimide resin tightly and intimately bonded to the continuous fibers. The resultant composites tend to have optimum thermo-mechanical properties.

Jones, Robert J.↗

Nano-Aramid Fiber Reinforced Polyurethane Foam

Closed cell polyurethane and, particularly, polyisocyanurate foams are a large family of flexible and rigid products the result of a reactive two part process wherein a urethane based polyol is combined with a foaming or "blowing" agent to create a cellular solid at room temperature. The ratio of reactive components, the constituency of the base materials, temperature, humidity, molding, pouring, spraying and many other processing techniques vary greatly. However, there is no known process for incorporating reinforcing fibers small enough to be integrally dispersed within the cell walls resulting in superior final products. The key differentiating aspect from the current state of art resides in the many processing technologies to be fully developed from the novel concept of milled nano pulp aramid fibers and their enabling entanglement capability fully enclosed within the cell walls of these closed cell urethane foams. The authors present the results of research and development of reinforced foam processing, equipment development, strength characteristics and the evolution of its many applications.

Semmes, Edmund B.↗

Microscale Constitutive Model Sensitivity on Multiscale Modeling of Fiber Reinforced Composites

Fiber reinforced composites are desirable in applications where low weight and high strength are needed, but are susceptible to microscale variability during manufacturing, making failure predictions difficult. The impact microscale variability has on macroscale mechanical response is difficult to predict due to the computational efficiency needed to simulate many, large, high fidelity, microscale models. In this study, a multiscale approach was taken to model 3-point bend, 4-point bend, and tensile experiments of a unidirectional composite from only having microstructure scans of these samples and constituent properties from literature. These scans were sampled with different sized windows, and statistically equivalent microstructures were generated, then simulated for stiffness, strength, and fracture toughness using an efficient micromechanical. Mesoscale models were created where element sizes equaled microstructure size, and properties were assigned through sampling of microscale simulation results. First, this study showed the effect of using Weibull scaling on constituent matrix strength on macroscale response. Then, a comparison was made between different element sizes and experiments. Finally, model dimensions were fixed, and the effect of randomly distributed local properties alone was examined. Results showed that the scatter of strength and stiffness in the experiments could be predicted well using images of the microscale fiber morphologies and that using stochastic properties produced a 3% coefficient of variation of strength for all experiments.

statistical microstructure↗

Effects of Debulking on the Fiber Microstructure and Void Distribution in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRPs) are widely used due to their high stiffness to weight ratios. A common process manufacturers use to increase the strength to weight ratio is debulking. Debulking is the process of compacting a dry fibrous reinforcement prior to resin infusion. This process is meant to decrease the average inter-fiber distance, effectively increasing the fiber volume fraction of the sample. While this process is widely understood macroscopically its effects on fibrous microstructures have not yet been well characterized. The aim of this work is to compare the microstructures of three CFRP laminates, varying only the debulking step in the manufacturing process. High resolution serial sections of all three laminates were taken for analysis. Using these scans, the fiber positions were reconstructed. Statistical descriptors such as local fiber and void volume fractions, fiber orientation, and void distribution and morphology were then generated for each sample. Fiber clusters present within the material were identified and analyzed for each level of debulking applied. Using these descriptors, the effects of debulking on the morphology and organization of the composite microstructure was evaluated.

carbon fiber↗

A New Generation of Sub Mm Telescopes, Made of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic

Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) appears to be the material most suited for the construction of submillimeter telescopes (SMT) not only for ground-based use but also for space applications. The accuracy of the CFRP reflectors needs to be improved beyond value of the 17 micron rms envisaged for the 10 m SMT.

Mezger, P.↗

Improved bounds on elastic and transport properties of fiber-reinforced composites - Effect of polydispersivity in fiber radius

Improved rigorous bounds were computed on the effective elastic and transport properties (including the effective axial shear modulus, effective transverse bulk modulus, and effective transverse shear modulus) of a transversely isotropic fiber-reinforced material composed of infinitely-long oriented multisized impenetrable circular cylinders distributed throughout a matrix. Results were used to study the effect of fiber-radius polydispersivity on the elastic and transport properties of such unidirectional composites. It was found that increasing the degree of polydispersivity increases the effective transverse conductivity (or axial shear modulus) and the effective transverse bulk modulus, and slightly decreases the effective transverse shear modulus for cases in which the fibers are more conducting or stiffer than the matrix.

Miller, C. A.↗

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Ceramic Composites for Propulsion Applications

Fiber reinforced ceramic composites are materials of choice for gas turbine engines because of their high thermal efficiency, thrust/weight ratio, and operating temperatures. However, the successful introduction of ceramic composites to hot structures is limited because of excessive cost of manufacturing, reproducibility, nonuniformity, and reliability. Intense research is going on around the world to address some of these issues. The proposed effort is to develop a comprehensive status report of the technology on processing, testing, failure mechanics, and environmental durability of carbon fiber reinforced ceramic composites through extensive literature study, vendor and end-user survey, visits to facilities doing this type of work, and interviews. Then develop a cooperative research plan between NASA GRC and NCA&T (Center for Composite Materials Research) for processing, testing, environmental protection, and evaluation of fiber reinforced ceramic composites.

Freedman, Marc↗

Effect of fiber reinforcements on thermo-oxidative stability and mechanical properties of polymer matrix composites

A number of studies have investigated the thermo-oxidative behavior of polymer matrix composites. Two significant observations have been made from these research efforts: (1) fiber reinforcement has a significant effect on composite thermal stability; and (2) geometric effects must be considered when evaluating thermal aging data. A compilation of some results from these studies is presented, and this information shows the influence of the reinforcement fibers on the oxidative degradation of various polymer matrix composites. The polyimide PMR-15 was the matrix material that was used in these studies. The control composite material was reinforced with Celion 6000 graphite fiber. T-40R graphite fibers, along with some very stable ceramic fibers were selected as reinforcing fibers because of their high thermal stability. The ceramic fibers were Nicalon (silicon carbide) and Nextel 312 (alumina-silica-boron oxide). The mechanical properties of the two graphite fiber composites were significantly different, probably owing to variations in interfacial bonding between the fibers and the polyimide matrix. The Celion 6000/PMR-15 bond is very tight but the T-40/PMR-15 bond is less tight. Three oxidation mechanisms were observed: (1) the preferential oxidation of the Celion 6000 fiber ends at cut surfaces, leaving a surface of matrix material with holes where the fiber ends were originally situated; (2) preferential oxidation of the composite matrix; and (3) interfacial degradation by oxidation. The latter two mechanisms were also observed on fiber end cut surfaces. The fiber and interface attacks appeared to initiate interfiber cracking along these surfaces.

Bowles, Kenneth J.↗

Effects of Interface Modification on Mechanical Behavior of Hi-Nicalon Fiber-Reinforced Celsian Matrix Composites

Unidirectional celsian matrix composites having approx. 42 volume percent of uncoated or BN/SiC-coated Hi-Nicalon fibers were tested in three-point bend at room temperature. The uncoated fiber-reinforced composites showed catastrophic failure with strength of 210 +/- 35 MPa and a flat fracture surface. In contrast, composites reinforced with BN/SiC-coated fibers exhibited graceful failure with extensive fiber pullout. Values of first matrix cracking stress and strain were 435 +/- 35 MPa and 0.27 +/- 0.01 %, respectively, with ultimate strength as high as 960 MPa. The elastic Young's modulus of the uncoated and BN/SiC-coated fiber-reinforced composites were measured as 184 q 4 GPa and 165 +/- 5 GPa, respectively. Fiber push-through tests and microscopic examination indicated no chemical reaction at the uncoated or coated fiber-matrix interface. The low strength of the uncoated fiber-reinforced composite is probably due to degradation of the fibers from mechanical surface damage during processing. Because both the coated and uncoated fiber reinforced composites exhibited weak interfaces, the beneficial effect of the BN-SiC dual layer is primarily the protection of fibers from mechanical damage during processing.

Bansal, Narottam P.↗

Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composites and Methods of Making Same Without the Use of Oven or Autoclave

Method embodiments for producing a fiber-reinforced epoxy composite comprise providing a mold defining a shape for a composite, applying a fiber reinforcement over the mold, covering the mold and fiber reinforcement thereon in a vacuum enclosure, performing a vacuum on the vacuum enclosure to produce a pressure gradient, insulating at least a portion of the vacuum enclosure with thermal insulation, infusing the fiber reinforcement with a reactive mixture of uncured epoxy resin and curing agent under vacuum conditions, wherein the reactive mixture of uncured epoxy resin and curing agent generates exothermic heat, and producing the fiber-reinforced epoxy composite having a glass transition temperature of at least about 100.degree. C. by curing the fiber reinforcement infused with the reactive mixture of uncured epoxy resin and curing agent by utilizing the exothermically generated heat, wherein the curing is conducted inside the thermally insulated vacuum enclosure without utilization of an external heat source or an external radiation source.

Barnell, Thomas J.↗

An inexpensive and effective method for calculating the strength of randomly reinforced fiber composites

Planar randomly reinforced fiber composites (PRRFC) is pseudoisotropic laminate with large number of ply orientation combinations where strength is function of these ply orientation combinations. Laminate theory can be applied to determine strength of PRRFC, and in conjunction with composite micro- and macromechanics can predict mechanical properties of PRRFC's with any fiber/matrix combination.

Chamis, C. C.↗