Method For Manufacturing Nano-Structurally Aligned Multi-Scale Composites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016168342-A1
Application number	US-201414908265-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 28, 2014
Priority date	Jul 29, 2013
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method whereby nanostructures aligned within a matrix material to define an aligned admixture are transferred into a receiving porous medium while substantially maintaining the nanostructure alignment such that the nanostructures may be aligned predominantly in a common direction within receiving porous medium. Resulting composite structures are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for manufacturing a nano-structured, multi-scale, composite comprising the steps of:
(a) providing an admixture, which contains through-thickness-aligned high-aspect-ratio nanostructures dispersed within a matrix material; (b) flow-transferring said admixture into a receiving porous medium along a flow transfer direction; and (c) solidifying said matrix material within the receiving porous medium to form a composite such that the high-aspect-ratio nanostructures are substantially aligned along the flow transfer direction.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the admixture is transferred from a first porous medium into the receiving porous medium.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second porous medium comprises micro-scale structures oriented transverse to the flow transfer direction.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the admixture is in solid-state before the flow-transferring step and is then temporarily liquified during flow transfer.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the high-aspect-ratio nanostructures are aligned within the matrix material by application of an electrical or magnetic field.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the high-aspect-ratio nanostructures are fiberous nanocarbons.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the high-aspect-ratio nanostructures are fiberous nanocarbons selected from the group consisting of carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanorods, and combinations thereof.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the admixture is transferred from a first porous medium into the receiving porous medium and wherein the first porous medium has a porosity greater than the receiving porous medium.

9 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the matrix material comprises a polymer.

10 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of epoxy, polyester, vinyl ester, bismaleimides, polyimides, cyanate ester, polyether ether ketone, polyphenylene sulfide, polysulfone, and combinations thereof.

11 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the receiving porous medium comprises a micro-scale fiber system having a majority of fibers within the micro-scale range and wherein at least a plurality of the fibers in the micro-scale fiber system are oriented with length dimensions transverse to the flow transfer direction.

12 . The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the micro-scale fiber system is selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, polymer fibers, natural fibers, boron fibers, nanotube twisted yarns, nanofiber twisted yarns, spinning nanotube microfibers, spinning nanofiber microfibers, ceramic fibers, or any combination thereof.

13 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the flow-transferring step includes the application of a compressing force to the admixture.

14 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the flow-transferring step includes the liquefaction of the matrix material from a solid state.

15 . The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein during the flow-transferring step liquefaction begins at a surface of the admixture facing towards the receiving porous medium and progresses outwardly towards an outer surface of the admixture facing away from the receiving porous medium.

16 . The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein liquefaction is caused by application of heat.

17 . The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein during liquefaction, the outer surface of the admixture facing away from the receiving porous medium is forcibly cooled to reduce the rate of liquefaction.

18 . A multi-scale composite manufactured by the process of claim 1 .

19 . A method for manufacturing a nano-structured, multi-scale, composite comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a solid state admixture structure having a thickness direction which contains through-thickness-aligned high-aspect-ratio nanostructures dispersed within a solidified matrix material; (b) flow-transferring said admixture into a receiving porous medium along a flow transfer direction concurrently with a liquefying step, wherein said liquefying step liquefies the matrix material in the thickness direction of the admixture structure in a progressive manner; wherein liquefaction of the matrix material begins at a surface of the admixture structure facing towards the receiving porous medium and progresses outwardly towards an outer surface of the admixture structure facing away from the receiving porous medium during the flow-transferring; and (c) solidifying said matrix material within the receiving porous medium to form a composite such that the high-aspect-ratio nanostructures are substantially aligned along the flow transfer direction.

20 . A multi-scale composite manufactured by the process of claim 19 .

Assignees

• Univ South Alabama

Inventors

• Hsiao Kuang-Ting
• Hickman Gregory

Classifications

• C08J5/043

  with glass fibres · CPC title

• B29K2105/124

  Nanofibers · CPC title

• C08K7/06

  Elements · CPC title

• B29K2105/162

  Nanoparticles · CPC title

• B29C70/081

  Combinations of fibres of continuous or substantial length and short fibres · CPC title