Structural composite materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10919805-B2
Application number	US-201615747617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2016
Priority date	Jul 28, 2015
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

The disclosure features methods of forming composite materials, and the composite materials formed by such methods. The methods include forming a mixture that includes a binder material and a filler material, and applying a pressure of at least 10 MPa to the mixture to form the composite material, where the composite material thus formed includes less than 9% by weight of the binder material, less than 18% by volume of the binder material, or both, and has a flexural strength of at least 3 MPa.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a composite material, the method comprising:
forming a mixture comprising a binder material and a filler material; and
applying a pressure of at least 20 MPa to the mixture to form the composite material,
wherein the mixture comprises less than 9% by weight of the binder material, less than 18% by volume of the binder material, or both.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
breaking the composite material into a plurality of pieces; and
applying a second pressure of at least 10 MPa to the plurality of pieces.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a pre-cast component comprising the composite material by:
positioning the mixture in a mold having a shape conforming to a shape of the pre-cast component; and
applying the pressure to the mixture in the mold.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application of pressure to the mixture comprises impacting the mixture with an impact member.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the pressure to the mixture comprises translating a pressurizing member relative to the mixture to apply the pressure to different portions of the mixture at different times.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the pressurizing member comprises a roller.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binder material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polyethersulfones, polysulfones, polyetherimides, epoxies, fluoropolymers, phenolic materials, vinyl esters, carboxymethylcellulose-based materials, polyetherketones, cyclic oligomers, polymethyl methacrylates, polycarbonates, and polybutylene terephthalates.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filler material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of sand, soil, rocks, gravel, stones, bricks, metals, alloys, ceramics, polymers, composites, glasses, solid waste, medicine, food, carbon materials, electrode materials, and components thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of foaming agents, bubble-generating agents, solvents, and lubricants.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising heating the composite material to a temperature of at least 50° C.

11. The method of claim 1 , comprising applying the pressure to the mixture by contacting the mixture with a compressive load.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pressure is applied to the mixture for a duration of at least 1 second.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a second pressure of at least 10 MPa to the mixture.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein each application of pressure to the mixture occurs for a duration of 1 second or less.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein during each application of pressure to the mixture, the pressure applied to the mixture increases from zero to a maximum pressure in a time period of 100 microseconds or less.

16. The method of claim 5 , wherein the pressurizing member comprises a piston.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture comprises less than 3% by weight of the binder material.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture comprises less than 10% by volume of the binder material.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binder material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic materials, thermosetting materials, elastomeric materials, polymer materials, ceramic materials, glasses, carbon materials, metals, alloys, salts, and sulfur-containing materials.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filler material comprises units of one or more materials in the form of at least one of powders, beads, dots, grains, particles, chips, cubes, layers, layer stacks, blocks, spheres, fibers, tubes, beams, pipes, rods, threads, platelets, coatings, hollow beads, hollow fibers, hollow blocks, hollow layers, bilayers, porous materials, meshes, fabrics, mats, honeycombs, and three-dimensional forms.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure applied to the mixture to form the composite material is at least 30 MPa.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Qiao Yu
• Chen Tze Han
• Le Anh V

Classifications

• C04B26/285 Primary

  Cellulose or derivatives thereof (C04B26/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C2043/3615

  Forming elements, e.g. mandrels or rams or stampers or pistons or plungers or punching devices · CPC title

• C04B26/02

  Macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• Y02W30/91

  Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete · CPC title

• B29C43/003

  characterised by the choice of material · CPC title