System and Method for Ceramic Doping of Carbon Fiber Composite Structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016123416-A1
Application number	US-201414527457-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 29, 2014
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method for ceramic doping of carbon fiber materials is disclosed. A carbon fiber preform may be made of carbonized oxidized PAN fibers and may be placed in contact with a nanoparticle suspension having nanoparticles and a dispersion medium. The nanoparticles may impregnate the carbon fiber preform, causing it to become a doped carbon fiber preform. The doped carbon fiber preform may be densified. The doped carbon fiber preform may be densified by conventional CVI processing techniques. The doped carbon fiber preform may be densified by thermal gradient CVI.

First claim

1 . A method of processing a carbon fiber preform comprising:
exposing the carbon fiber preform comprising carbonized oxidized PAN fibers to a nanoparticle dispersion comprising a nanoparticle and a dispersion medium; impregnating the nanoparticle into the carbon fiber preform, whereby the carbon fiber preform is converted into a doped carbon fiber preform; drying the doped carbon fiber preform at a first temperature whereby the dispersion medium is at least one of substantially removed or completely removed from the doped carbon fiber preform.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first temperature comprises about 260° C. to 316° C.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising densifying the doped carbon fiber preform.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the impregnating occurs prior to the densifying.

5 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the densifying comprises chemical vapor infiltration (“CVI”).

6 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the nanoparticle comprises aluminum oxide.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
placing the carbon fiber preform in a vacuum chamber; placing the nanoparticle dispersion in the vacuum chamber; and drawing an at least partial vacuum within the vacuum chamber by a vacuum source for a first duration of time and at a first vacuum pressure.

8 . The method of processing a carbon fiber preform according to claim 7 , wherein the first duration of time comprises about 30 minutes.

9 . The method of processing a carbon fiber preform according to claim 7 , wherein the first vacuum pressure comprises about 15 mmHg.

10 . The method of processing a carbon fiber preform according to claim 7 , further comprising densifying the doped carbon fiber preform.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the impregnating occurs prior to the densifying.

12 . The method of processing a carbon fiber preform according to claim 10 , wherein the densifying comprises thermal gradient CVI.

13 . A doped carbon fiber preform comprising:
a carbon fiber preform comprising carbonized oxidized PAN fibers; and nanoparticles impregnated into the carbonized oxidized PAN fibers.

14 . The doped carbon fiber preform according to claim 13 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise aluminum oxide.

15 . The doped carbon fiber preform according to claim 14 , wherein the doped carbon fiber preform comprises an aircraft brake disc.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Perea Paul

Classifications

• F16D2200/0052

  Carbon · CPC title

• C04B2235/616

  Liquid infiltration of green bodies or pre-forms · CPC title

• C04B2235/5248

  Carbon, e.g. graphite · CPC title

• F16D2250/0053

  Hardening · CPC title

• F16D2200/0082

  Production methods therefor · CPC title