Thin ply high temperature composites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017348876-A1
Application number	US-201615169403-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 31, 2016
Priority date	May 31, 2016
Publication date	Dec 7, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of fabricating a laminar composite article, includes steps of spreading a plurality of continuous fiber tows from a spool to form a first ply layer having a substantially consistent layer thickness, applying a binder to the spread plurality of continuous fiber tows, curing the plurality of continuous fiber tows and applied binder at a cure temperature less than a thermal decomposition temperature of the binder, and processing the cured plurality of continuous fiber tows at a post-cure temperature greater than the cure temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of fabricating a laminar composite article, comprising:
spreading a plurality of continuous fiber tows from a spool to form a first ply layer having a substantially consistent layer thickness; applying a binder to the spread plurality of continuous fiber tows; curing the plurality of continuous fiber tows and applied binder at a cure temperature less than a thermal decomposition temperature of the binder; and processing the cured plurality of continuous fiber tows at a post-cure temperature greater than the cure temperature.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of continuous tows comprises one of glass fiber, aluminum oxide, bismaleimide, polyimide, and a ceramic matrix composite.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the binder comprises one of polyethylene oxide, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, polysilazane, polycarbosilane, thermoplastic polyimide, and polyphenolsulfane.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of applying the binder is performed by one of spraying the plurality of continuous fiber tows and drawing the plurality of continuous fiber tows through a solution.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising, after the step of applying the binder and prior to the step of processing, a step of depositing a fiber coating on the cured plurality of continuous fiber tows.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the binder thermally decomposes during the step of processing.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of applying the binder is performed by melting the binder to tack together the plurality of continuous fiber tows.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the binder remains in the laminar composite article after the step of processing.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cure temperature is greater than a melting point of the binder.

10 . A laminar composite article, comprising:
a cured, reinforced matrix of composite material, said matrix comprising a plurality of individual ply layers laminated together, each ply layer of said plurality of individual ply layers comprising: a plurality of continuous tows extending substantially parallel to each other through said ply layer, each of said plurality of continuous tows including a plurality of individual fibers; and an average minimum fiber spacing between adjacent ones of said plurality of individual fibers equal to or greater than half of a diameter of the individual fibers.

11 . The laminar composite article of claim 10 , wherein said composite material comprises aluminum oxide.

12 . The laminar composite article of claim 11 , wherein said binder comprises aluminum oxide.

13 . The laminar composite article of claim 10 , wherein said average gap spacing is greater than 10 microns.

14 . The laminar composite article of claim 10 , wherein said composite material comprises a ceramic matrix composite.

15 . The laminar composite article of claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of woven tows extending perpendicular to said plurality of continuous tows.

16 . The laminar composite article of claim 15 , wherein said cured ply layer thickness is less than or equal to 0.013 inches.

17 . The laminar composite article of claim 16 , wherein said cured ply layer thickness is less than or equal to 0.011 inches.

18 . The laminar composite article of claim 14 , wherein said binder comprises one of silicon carbide, polysilazane, and polycarbosilane.

19 . A gas turbine engine comprising:
a combustion section; a cold section forward of said combustion section; and a hot section aft of said combustion section, said hot section including at least one laminar composite article, comprising:
a cured, reinforced matrix of composite material, said matrix comprising a plurality of individual ply layers laminated together, each ply layer of said individual ply layers comprising:
a plurality of continuous tows extending substantially parallel to each other through said ply layer, each of said plurality of continuous tows including a plurality of individual fibers; and
an average minimum fiber spacing between adjacent ones of said plurality of individual fibers equal to or greater than half of a diameter of the individual fibers.

20 . The gas turbine engine of claim 19 , wherein said at least one laminar composite article is one of an airfoil, a liner, a vane, a duct, a case, and a center body.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Lin Wendy Wen-Ling
• Ward Douglas Duane
• Steibel James Dale

Classifications

• B32B5/26

  another layer {next to it} also being fibrous or filamentary {(relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12)} · CPC title

• B29K2309/02

  Ceramics · CPC title

• B29K2305/02

  Aluminium · CPC title

• C04B2235/422

  Carbon · CPC title

• B32B2315/08

  Glass · CPC title