Prepreg and fiber-reinforced composite material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10072377-B2
Application number	US-201214234996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2012
Priority date	Jul 27, 2011
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A fiber reinforced composite material having high interlaminar toughness and compressive strength under wet heat conditions, as well as an epoxy resin composition for production thereof and a prepreg producible from the epoxy resin composition is described. The prepreg includes at least constituents [A], [B], and [C] as specified below and reinforcement fiber, wherein 90% or more of constituent [C] exists in the depth range accounting for 20% of the prepreg thickness from the prepreg surface: [A] epoxy resin; [B] epoxy resin curing agent; and [C] polymer particles insoluble in epoxy resin.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A prepreg comprising at least constituents [A], [B], and [C] as specified below and reinforcement fiber, wherein 90% or more of constituent [C] exists in the depth range accounting for 20% of the prepreg thickness from the prepreg surface:
[A] epoxy resin,
[B] epoxy resin curing agent, and
[C] polymer particles insoluble in epoxy resin and falling under the following [Cx]:
[Cx] polymer particles insoluble in epoxy resin and giving a particle diameter distribution chart meeting the following requirements from (x-i) to (x-iii):
(x-i) the chart has at least two peaks,
(x-ii) the particles giving the two highest peaks have a diameter ratio in the range of 1.5 to 7, and
(x-iii) the one of the two highest peaks attributable to the larger-diameter particles has a half-value width in the range of 1.1 to 2.5,

wherein a mass content of particles [Cx1] in particles [Cx] is in the range of 60 to 85 mass %, and
wherein particles [Cx1] is polyamide particles containing a chemical structure as represented by general formula (I):

wherein, R 1 and R 2 represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or a halogen atom; R 1 and R 2 are either identical to or different from each other; and R 3 represents a methylene group containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms.

2. A prepreg as claimed in claim 1 , wherein polymer particles [Cx] are insoluble in epoxy resin and further meet the following requirement of (x-iv):
(x-iv) the one of the two highest peaks attributable to the larger-diameter particles and the other attributable to the smaller-diameter particles have a height ratio in the range of 0.6 to 7.

3. A prepreg as claimed in claim 2 , wherein particles [Cx] include particles [Cx1] and particles [Cx2] as described below:
[Cx1] polymer particles insoluble in epoxy resin and having a sphericity in the range of 90 to 100 and a particle diameter distribution index in the range of 1.0 to 1.8, and
[Cx2] polymer particles insoluble in epoxy resin and having an average particle diameter in the range of 1/10 to ⅔ of that of polymer particles [Cx1].

4. A prepreg as claimed in claim 1 , wherein particles [Cx] include particles [Cx1] and particles [Cx2] as described below:
[Cx1] polymer particles insoluble in epoxy resin and having a sphericity in the range of 90 to 100 and a particle diameter distribution index in the range of 1.0 to 1.8, and
[Cx2] polymer particles insoluble in epoxy resin and having an average particle diameter in the range of 1/10 to ⅔ of that of polymer particles [Cx1].

5. A prepreg as claimed in claim 4 , wherein particles [Cx1] are polymer particles having a glass transition temperature in the range of 80 to 180° C.

6. A prepreg as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the average particle diameter of particles [Cx1] is in the range of 5 to 30 μm.

7. A prepreg as claimed in claim 1 , wherein constituent [A] comprises a polyfunctional amine type epoxy resin.

8. A prepreg as claimed in claim 1 , wherein constituent [B] is an aromatic polyamine.

9. A prepreg as claimed in claim 8 , wherein constituent [B] is diaminodiphenyl sulfone, a derivative thereof, or an isomer thereof.

10. Fiber reinforced composite material produced by curing a prepreg as claimed in claim 1 .

11. Fiber reinforced composite material as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the reinforcement fiber is carbon fiber.

12. Fiber reinforced composite material as claimed in claim 10 , wherein particles [Cx] has a sphericity in the range of 90 to 100 as determined from observation of a cross section of the fiber reinforced composite material by optical microscopy.

Assignees

• Shimizu Yuko
• Tomioka Nobuyuki
• Honda Shirou
• Nagano Maki
• Echigo Yuji
• Takezaki Hiroshi
• Kawasaki Junko
• Taiko Hiroshi
• Toray Industries

Inventors

• Shimizu Yuko
• Tomioka Nobuyuki
• Honda Shirou
• Nagano Maki
• Echigo Yuji
• Takezaki Hiroshi
• Kawasaki Junko
• Taiko Hiroshi

Classifications

• B32B2307/50

  having particular mechanical properties · CPC title

• D06M15/55 Primary

  Epoxy resins · CPC title

• B32B2264/0264

  Polyamide particles · CPC title

• B32B2419/06

  Roofs, roof membranes · CPC title

• B32B2260/025

  Particulate layer · CPC title