Bond ply for adhesive bonding of composites and associated systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9254622-B2
Application number	US-201313868963-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2013
Priority date	Apr 23, 2012
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A method of forming a composite material includes providing an uncured substrate. The method further includes applying a bond ply to the substrate and a peel ply to the bond ply. In some embodiments, the bond ply comprises a fiber veil, such as a glass fiber veil. The method further includes curing the substrate and removing the bond ply and peel ply from the cured substrate, thereby exposing an active surface on the substrate. Removing the bond ply and peel ply can create fractures in the active surface that increase the roughness and bondability of the active surface. In several embodiments, the composite materials described herein can be compatible with a wide range of adhesives, including room temperature adhesives.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method of forming a composite material, the method comprising:
providing an uncured substrate;
applying a bond ply to the substrate, the bond ply comprising a fiber veil or fiber mat of randomly-oriented fibers;
applying a peel ply to the bond ply, wherein the fibers in the bond ply have a greater tensile strength than fibers in the peel ply;
curing the substrate;
removing the bond ply and the peel ply from the substrate, thereby exposing an active surface of the substrate, wherein the active surface comprises a material; and
fracturing the active surface material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the fiber veil or fiber mat comprises applying a fiber mat or a fiber veil having fibers consisting of at least one of glass, carbon, one or more metals, aramide, an epoxy-inert fiber, or a combination of these materials.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the bond ply comprises applying a veil of randomly-oriented chopped glass fibers.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein curing the substrate comprises infusing the bond ply and peel ply with a resin, and wherein fracturing the active surface material comprises creating fractures in a portion of the resin infused in the bond ply.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein fracturing the active surface material comprises creating a fracture pattern dependent on one or more of a bond ply material selection, an orientation, length, or density of fibers in the bond ply, or a method of curing the substrate.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein removing the bond ply and peel ply comprises removing the bond ply and peel ply together as a unitary component.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein providing an uncured substrate comprises providing a substrate comprising one or more of an epoxy resin, a thermosetting polymer, or a thermoplastic polymer.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein removing the bond ply and the peel ply from the substrate comprises providing a surface chemistry on the active surface suitable for use with a room temperature adhesive.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein removing the bond ply and the peel ply from the substrate comprises removing the bond ply and peel ply without leaving more than 50% of the fibers as remnants on the substrate.

10. A method of forming a composite material, the method comprising:
providing a substrate;
applying a bond ply to the substrate, the bond ply comprising a fiber veil or fiber mat of randomly-oriented fibers;
after applying the bond ply to the substrate, applying a peel ply to the bond ply, wherein the fibers in the bond ply have a greater tensile strength than fibers in the peel ply;
curing the substrate; and
removing the bond ply and the peel ply from the substrate, thereby exposing an active surface of the substrate and fracturing a material of the active surface.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein applying the fiber veil or fiber mat comprises applying a fiber veil or fiber mat of randomly-oriented fibers consisting of one or more of glass, carbon, one or more metals, aramide, an epoxy-inert fiber, or a combination of these fibers.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein fracturing the active surface comprises creating a fracture pattern in an epoxy layer on the substrate.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising applying a room temperature adhesive to the active surface.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising coating at least one of the substrate or the bond ply with a templating or transferring coating.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein removing the bond ply and the peel ply from the substrate comprises removing the bond ply and peel ply without leaving more than 50% of the fibers as remnants on the substrate.

Assignees

• Flinn Brian D
• Univ Washington

Inventors

• Flinn Brian D

Classifications

• C08J5/18

  Manufacture of films or sheets · CPC title

• B29C66/72143

  Fibres of discontinuous lengths · CPC title

• B29C66/45

  Joining of substantially the whole surface of the articles (methods or apparatus for laminating B32B37/00) · CPC title

• B32B5/02

  characterised by structural features of a {fibrous or filamentary} layer {(layer formed of metallic wires B32B15/02; layer formed of natural mineral fibres B32B19/02; layer formed of wood fibres B32B21/02)} · CPC title

• B29C66/73755

  the to-be-joined area of at least one of the parts to be joined being fully cured, i.e. fully cross-linked, fully vulcanized · CPC title