Method for molding composite material structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11498290-B2
Application number	US-201917048804-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2019
Priority date	Jun 28, 2018
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a method for molding, using a honeycomb core, a composite material structure that is high-quality, low cost, and leaves less voids. The present disclosure addresses the problem of providing a method for molding, using a honeycomb core, a composite material structure with which it is possible to reduce dimples in a composite material skin at low cost. According to a method for molding a composite material structure of the present disclosure, an uncured composite material honeycomb sandwich panel in which prepreg is laminated on upper and lower surfaces of a honeycomb core via an adhesive is covered with a vacuum bag and placed in an autoclave. After that, the vacuum bag is evacuated and, while the evacuation is being continued, is heated and pressurized by the autoclave to cure a matrix resin of the prepreg and achieve adhesion to the honeycomb core.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for forming a composite material structure, the method comprising:
covering an uncured composite material honeycomb sandwich panel in which prepregs are laminated on upper and lower surfaces of a honeycomb core with a vacuum bag, disposing the uncured composite material honeycomb sandwich panel within an autoclave, and then evacuating an inside of the vacuum bag,
heating and pressurizing the uncured composite material honeycomb sandwich panel by the autoclave while the evacuation is continued to cure a matrix resin of each of the prepregs and perform adhesion of the matrix resin to the honeycomb core,
confirming a volatilization temperature region where a volatile component is generated from the prepreg in advance, and setting a holding temperature on the basis of the volatilization temperature region,
raising a temperature of an inside of the autoclave to the holding temperature and holding the holding temperature for a predetermined time, and
after the holding, raising the temperature of the inside of the autoclave to a curing temperature of the matrix resin to cure the matrix resin,
wherein a low-viscosity temperature region including a temperature at which the prepregs show a lowest viscosity is set in advance, and
wherein the temperature of the inside of the autoclave is raised to a low-viscosity temperature in the low-viscosity temperature region and held for a predetermined time before the temperature of the inside of the autoclave is raised to a curing temperature of the matrix resin after being held at the holding temperature.

2. The method for forming a composite material structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the prepregs are laminated on the upper and lower surfaces of the honeycomb core via an adhesive.

3. The method for forming a composite material structure according to claim 2 ,
wherein the adhesive that is cured at a temperature lower than that of the prepregs is used.

4. A method for forming a composite material structure, the method comprising covering an uncured composite material honeycomb sandwich panel in which prepregs are laminated on upper and lower surfaces of a honeycomb core with a vacuum bag, evacuating an inside of the vacuum bag, and disposing, heating, and pressurizing the uncured composite material honeycomb sandwich panel within an autoclave, and curing a matrix resin of each of the prepregs and performing adhesion of the matrix resin to the honeycomb core,
the method comprising:
confirming a volatilization temperature region where a volatile component is generated from the prepreg in advance, and setting a holding temperature on the basis of the volatilization temperature region,
raising a temperature of an inside of the autoclave to the holding temperature and holding the holding temperature for a predetermined time, and
after the holding, raising the temperature of the inside of the autoclave to a curing temperature of the matrix resin to cure the matrix resin,
wherein a low-viscosity temperature region including a temperature at which the prepregs show a lowest viscosity is set in advance, and
wherein the temperature of the inside of the autoclave is raised to a low-viscosity temperature in the low-viscosity temperature region and held for a predetermined time before the temperature of the inside of the autoclave is raised to a curing temperature of the matrix resin after being held at the holding temperature.

5. The method for forming a composite material structure according to claim 4 ,
wherein the prepregs are laminated on the upper and lower surfaces of the honeycomb core via an adhesive.

6. The method for forming a composite material structure according to claim 5 ,
wherein the adhesive that is cured at a temperature lower than that of the prepregs is used.

7. A method for forming a composite material structure, the method comprising:
covering an uncured composite material honeycomb sandwich panel in which prepregs are laminated on upper and lower surfaces of a honeycomb core with a vacuum bag, disposing the uncured composite material honeycomb sandwich panel within an autoclave, and then evacuating an inside of the vacuum bag,
heating and pressurizing the uncured composite material honeycomb sandwich panel by the autoclave while the evacuation is continued to cure a matrix resin of each of the prepregs and perform adhesion of the matrix resin to the honeycomb core,
confirming a volatilization temperature region where a volatile component is generated from the prepreg in advance, and setting a holding temperature on the basis of the volatilization temperature region,
raising a temperature of an inside of the autoclave to the holding temperature and holding the holding temperature for a predetermined time, and
after the holding, raising the temperature of the inside of the autoclave to a curing temperature of the matrix resin to cure the matrix resin,
wherein in a case where a plurality of the volatilization temperature regions where volatile components are generated from the prepregs are present,
in a lowest low-volatilization temperature region, an upper limit temperature or a near-upper-limit temperature of the low-volatilization temperature region is set as a low holding temperature, and
in a high-volatilization temperature region overlapping a temperature region where a viscosity of the prepregs changes so as to increase, a lower limit temperature or a near-lower-limit temperature of the high-volatilization temperature region is set as a high holding temperature, and temperature raising and holding of the inside of the autoclave are performed in order of the low holding temperature and the high holding temperature.

8. The method for forming a composite material structure according to claim 7 ,
wherein the prepregs are laminated on the upper and lower surfaces of the honeycomb core via an adhesive.

9. The method for forming a composite material structure according to claim 8 ,
wherein the adhesive that is cured at a temperature lower than that of the prepregs is used.

10. A method for forming a composite material structure, the method comprising covering an uncured composite material honeycomb sandwich panel in which prepregs are laminated on upper and lower surfaces of a honeycomb core with a vacuum bag, evacuating an inside of the vacuum bag, and disposing, heating, and pressurizing the uncured composite material honeycomb sandwich panel within an autoclave, and curing a matrix resin of each of the prepregs and performing adhesion of the matrix resin to the honeycomb core,
the method comprising:
confirming a volatilization temperature region where a volatile component is generated from the prepreg in advance, and setting a holding temperature on the basis of the volatilization temperature region,
raising a temperature of an inside of the autoclave to the holding temperature and holding the holding temperature for a predetermined time, and
after the holding, raising the temperature of the inside of the autoclave to a curing temperature of the matrix resin to cure the matrix resin,
wherein in a case where a plurality of the volatilization temperature regions where volatile components are generated from the prepregs are present,
in a lowest low-volatilization temperature region, an upper limit temperature or a near-upper-limit temperature of the low-volatilization temperature region is set as a low holding temperature, and
in a high-volatilization temperature region overlapping a temperature region where a viscosity of the prepregs changes so as to increase, a lower limit temperature or a near-lower-limit temperature of the high-volatilization temperature region is set as a high holding temper

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Noma Kazuki
• Akiyama Hiromichi
• Kozasa Toshio
• Kanemasu Masayuki
• Morishima Shunichi

Classifications

• B32B2262/106

  Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres · CPC title

• B32B37/1018

  using only vacuum · CPC title

• B32B3/12

  characterised by a layer of regularly- arranged cells, e.g. a honeycomb structure · CPC title

• B61D17/04

  with bodies of metal; with composite, e.g. metal and wood body structures · CPC title

• B32B2305/076

  Prepregs · CPC title