Creating aligned and oriented fiber reinforced polymer composites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019084000-A1
Application number	US-201816195468-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2018
Priority date	Jul 7, 2015
Publication date	Mar 21, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method includes providing a reservoir of randomly oriented fibers in a solution, dispensing the solution of randomly oriented fibers through a nozzle having an orientation component onto a porous substrate as a solution of aligned fibers, and immobilizing the fibers to form a fiber pre-form. A system includes a porous substrate, a deposition nozzle, a reservoir of randomly oriented fibers in solution connected to the deposition nozzle, the deposition nozzle position adjacent the porous substrate and connected to the reservoir, the nozzle to receive the randomly oriented fibers and output aligned fibers, and a vacuum connected to the porous substrate to remove fluid from the porous substrate as the deposition nozzle deposits the aligned fibers on the porous substrate to produce a fiber pre-form having aligned fibers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
providing a reservoir of randomly oriented fibers in a solution; dispensing the solution of randomly oriented fibers through a nozzle having an orientation component onto a porous substrate as a solution of aligned fibers; and immobilizing the fibers to form a fiber pre-form.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising infiltrating the fiber pre-form with a matrix.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising forming the fiber pre-form into a predefined shape prior to infiltrating.

4 . The method of claim 1 , applying heat to lower the viscosity of the solution.

5 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising setting the matrix.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein immobilizing the fibers comprises applying vacuum pressure to the porous substrate during the dispensing.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein immobilizing the fibers comprises applying a binder suspension to the porous substrate after the dispensing.

8 . A system, comprising:
a porous substrate; a deposition nozzle; a reservoir of randomly oriented fibers in solution connected to the deposition nozzle; the deposition nozzle position adjacent the porous substrate and connected to the reservoir, the nozzle to receive the randomly oriented fibers and output aligned fibers: and a vacuum connected to the porous substrate to remove fluid from the porous substrate as the deposition nozzle deposits the aligned fibers on the porous substrate to produce a fiber pre-form having aligned fibers.

9 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising a reservoir of matrix material positioned such that the matrix material can infuse the fiber pre-form.

10 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising a heat source.

11 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising a pressure source to apply pressure to the matrix material to assist with infiltration of the matrix and set the matrix material into the fiber pre-form.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the deposition nozzle further comprises:
a housing; an inlet into the housing arranged to receive a solution carrying randomly oriented fibers; an orientation component within the housing, the orientation component positioned to receive the solution from the inlet and operate to produce aligned fibers in a predetermined, single direction; and an outlet on the housing arranged to receive the fibers and deposit them on a substrate.

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Beck Victor Alfred
• Rao Ranjeet

Classifications

• D04H1/74

  the fibres being orientated, e.g. in parallel {(anisotropic fleeces)} · CPC title

• B29C70/48

  and impregnating the reinforcements in the closed mould, e.g. resin transfer moulding [RTM] {, e.g. by vacuum} · CPC title

• B29C70/14

  oriented · CPC title

• B29C48/35

  with rollers · CPC title

• B29C48/2886

  of fillers or of fibrous materials, e.g. short-fibre reinforcements · CPC title