Puncture-healing thermoplastic resin carbon-fiber reinforced composites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9783648-B2
Application number	US-201514881899-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2015
Priority date	Feb 24, 2012
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A composite comprising a combination of a self-healing polymer matrix and a carbon fiber reinforcement is described. In one embodiment, the matrix is a polybutadiene graft copolymer matrix, such as polybutadiene graft copolymer comprising poly(butadiene)-graft-poly(methyl acrylate-co-acrylonitrile). A method of fabricating the composite is also described, comprising the steps of manufacturing a pre-impregnated unidirectional carbon fiber preform by wetting a plurality of carbon fibers with a solution, the solution comprising a self-healing polymer and a solvent, and curing the preform. A method of repairing a structure made from the composite of the invention is described. A novel prepreg material used to manufacture the composite of the invention is described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating a composite comprising the steps of:
dissolving a self-healing polymer with a solvent to form a solution;
manufacturing a pre-impregnated unidirectional carbon fiber preform by wetting a plurality of carbon fibers with the solution; and
curing the preform with heat and pressure to form the composite.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the self-healing polymer comprises a polybutadiene graft copolymer.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the self-healing polymer comprises poly(butadiene)-graft-poly(methyl acrylate-co-acrylonitrile).

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the solvent comprises N-methylpyrrolidone.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the curing step comprises processing the wetted fibers in a vacuum press.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the curing step comprises the steps of:
increasing the temperature in the vacuum press from about 25° C. to about 150° C. at about 2° C. per minute under full vacuum and holding at about 150° C. for about 60 minutes under full vacuum;
increasing the temperature in the vacuum press to about 225° C. at about 2 CC per minute under full vacuum and holding at about 225° C. for about 60 minutes under full vacuum and about 1.7 MPa compaction pressure; and
cooling the vacuum press to about 25° C. at about 2° C. per minute under full vacuum.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the sell-healing polymer is a polybutadiene graft copolymer.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the self-healing polymer is poly(butadiene)-graft-poly(methyl acrylate-co-acrylonitrile).

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the solvent is N-methylpyrrolidone.

Assignees

• Nasa
• The Us Administrator Of The Nasa

Inventors

• Gordon Keith L
• Siochi Emilie J
• Grimsley Brian W
• Cano Roberto J
• Czabaj Michael W

Classifications

• C08K7/06

  Elements · CPC title

• C08J2351/04

  grafted on to rubbers · CPC title

• C08J5/042 Primary

  with carbon fibres · CPC title

• C08J2351/06

  grafted on to homopolymers or copolymers of aliphatic hydrocarbons containing only one carbon-to-carbon double bond · CPC title

• B32B5/28 Primary

  impregnated with or embedded in a plastic substance {(not used)} · CPC title