Carbon fiber preforms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016332919-A1
Application number	US-201514711508-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 13, 2015
Priority date	May 13, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some examples, a method for forming a carbon fiber preform comprises depositing, via a print head of a three-dimensional printing system, a first plurality of coated carbon fibers on a substrate to form a first layer on the substrate, wherein each carbon fiber of the first plurality of coated carbon fibers comprises a carbon fiber coated with a resin; and depositing, via the print head of the three-dimensional printing system, a second plurality of coated carbon fibers on the first layer to form a second layer on the first layer, wherein each carbon fiber of the second plurality of coated carbon fibers comprises the carbon fiber coated with the resin, and wherein the carbon fiber preform includes the first layer of the first plurality of coated carbon fibers and the second layer of the second plurality of coated carbon fibers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for forming a carbon fiber preform, the method comprising:
depositing, via a print head of a three-dimensional printing system, a first plurality of coated carbon fibers on a substrate to form a first layer on the substrate, wherein each carbon fiber of the first plurality of coated carbon fibers comprises a carbon fiber coated with a resin; and depositing, via the print head of the three-dimensional printing system, a second plurality of coated carbon fibers on the first layer to form a second layer on the first layer, wherein each carbon fiber of the second plurality of coated carbon fibers comprises the carbon fiber coated with the resin, and wherein the carbon fiber preform includes the first layer of coated carbon fibers and the second layer of coated carbon fibers.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing, via the print head of the three-dimensional printing system, the first plurality of coated carbon fibers on the substrate to form the first layer on the substrate comprises cutting a substantially continuous carbon fiber filament coated with the resin to form the first plurality of coated carbon fibers.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising coating the substantially continuous carbon fiber filament via the three-dimensional printing system prior to cutting the substantially continuous filament of carbon fiber.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein cutting the substantially continuous carbon fiber filament coated with the resin comprises cutting a tow of substantially continuous carbon fiber filaments coated with the resin.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first layer and the second layer each includes approximately 45 weight percent to approximately 85 weight percent of the plurality of carbon fibers, and approximately 15 weight percent and approximately 55 weight percent of the resin.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the resin comprises at least one of synthetic pitch, coal tar, petroleum isotropic pitch, mesophase pitch, phenolic resin, or epoxy resin.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
carbonizing the carbon fiber preform; and densifying the carbonized carbon fiber preform to form a densified carbon-carbon composite material.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the densified carbon-carbon composite material exhibits a density greater than or equal to approximately 1.7 grams per cubic centimeter.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first layer and the second layer each have a thickness between approximately 25 mils (approximately 0.635 millimeters (mm)) and approximately 125 mils (approximately 3.175 mm).

10 . A carbon fiber preform comprising a plurality of stacked layers, the plurality of stacked layers including a first layer formed by depositing, via a print head of a three-dimensional printing system, a first plurality of coated carbon fibers, and a second layer formed by depositing, via the print head of the three-dimensional printing system, a second plurality of coated carbon fibers on the first layer to form the second layer on the first layer, wherein each carbon fiber of the first plurality and the second plurality of coated carbon fibers comprises a carbon fiber coated with a resin.

11 . The carbon fiber preform of claim 10 , wherein first layer and second layer each includes approximately 45 weight percent to approximately 85 weight percent of the plurality of carbon fibers, and approximately 15 weight percent to approximately 55 weight percent of the resin.

12 . The carbon fiber preform of claim 10 , wherein the resin comprises at least one of synthetic pitch, coal tar, petroleum isotropic pitch, mesophase pitch, phenolic resin, or epoxy resin.

13 . The carbon fiber preform of claim 10 , wherein the first plurality of coated carbon fibers is formed by cutting a substantially continuous carbon fiber filament coated with the resin.

14 . The carbon fiber preform of claim 13 , wherein the substantially continuous carbon fiber filament coated with the resin comprises a tow of substantially continuous carbon fiber filaments coated with the resin.

15 . The carbon fiber preform of claim 10 , wherein the first layer and second layer each have a thickness between approximately 25 mils (approximately 0.635 millimeters (mm)) and approximately 125 mils (approximately 3.175 mm).

16 . A densified carbon-carbon composite material comprising a densified carbon fiber preform, wherein the carbon fiber preform comprises a plurality of stacked layers, the plurality of layers including a first layer formed by depositing, via a print head of a three-dimensional printing system, a first plurality of coated carbon fibers, and a second layer formed by depositing, via the print head of the three-dimensional printing system, a second plurality of coated carbon fibers on the first layer to form the second layer on the first layer, wherein each carbon fiber of the first plurality and the second plurality of coated carbon fibers comprises a carbon fiber coated with a resin.

17 . The densified carbon-carbon composite material of claim 16 , wherein the densified carbon-carbon composite material exhibits a density greater than or equal to approximately 1.7 grams per cubic centimeter.

18 . The densified carbon-carbon composite material of claim 16 , wherein the first layer and second layer each have a thickness between approximately 25 mils (approximately 0.635 millimeters (mm)) and approximately 125 mils (approximately 3.175 mm).

19 . The densified carbon-carbon composite material of claim 16 , wherein the carbon fiber preform is densified by at least one of chemical vapor deposition or chemical vapor infiltration.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Fryska Slawomir T
• La Forest Mark L

Classifications

• B33Y10/00 Primary

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29K2103/04

  Inorganic materials · CPC title

• C04B35/83 Primary

  Carbon fibres in a carbon matrix · CPC title

• B29K2307/04

  Carbon · CPC title

• C04B2237/385

  Carbon or carbon composite · CPC title