Nanoparticle hybrid composites by RF plasma spray deposition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9963345-B2
Application number	US-201414211508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A method of fabricating a composite material includes utilizing a radio frequency plasma process to form a plasma plume comprising nanoparticles. The nanoparticles may comprise boron nitride nanoparticles, silicon carbide nanoparticles, beryllium oxide nanoparticles, or carbon nanoparticles. The nanoparticles may comprise nanotubes or other particles depending on the requirements of a particular application. The nanoparticles are deposited on a substrate by directing a plasma plume towards the substrate. The nanoparticles are formed in the plasma plume immediately prior to being deposited on the substrate. The nanoparticles may form a mechanical bond with the fibers in addition to a chemical bond in the absence of a catalyst. The substrate may comprise a fiber fabric that may optionally be coated with a thin layer of metal. Alternatively, the substrate may comprise a solid material such as a metal sheet or plate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating a laminate composite material with multi-axial mechanical properties, the method comprising:
providing a fibrous material comprising a plurality of fibers forming a plurality of layers;
at least partially coating the layers of fibrous material with a porous metal to form a porous arrangement of porous metal-coated fibers;
utilizing a radio frequency plasma torch to form a plasma plume comprising nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles are produced in the plasma plume formed by the radio frequency plasma torch; and
causing at least some of the nanoparticles to be deposited on the porous metal-coated fibers of the fibrous material by directing the plasma plume towards the fibrous material such that the at least some of the nanoparticles comprise nanotubes produced in the plasma plume formed by the radio frequency plasma torch that extend transverse to each layer and through pores of the porous arrangement of porous metal-coated fibers to increase the inter-laminar shear strength between the layers throughout a thickness of the laminate material.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the fibrous material comprises a woven fabric.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
fibers in the fibrous material are selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, carbon fibers, graphite fibers, aramid fibers, polyethylene fibers, polybenzoxazole fibers, and any combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the fibrous material is coated with the porous metal prior to depositing the nanoparticles on the fibrous material.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the fibrous material is coated with the porous metal after depositing the nanoparticles on the fibrous material.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the metal is selected from the group consisting aluminum, titanium, copper, tantalum, nickel, chromium, alloys thereof, and any combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the fibrous material is coated with the porous metal utilizing radio frequency plasma spray deposition.

8. A method of fabricating a laminate composite material with multi-axial mechanical properties the method comprising:
providing a fibrous material comprising a plurality of fibers forming a plurality of layers;
at least partially coating the layers of fibrous material with a porous metal to form a porous arrangement of porous metal-coated fibers;
utilizing a radio frequency plasma torch to form a plasma plume comprising nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles are produced in the plasma plume formed by the radio frequency plasma torch; and
causing at least some of the nanoparticles to be deposited on the fibrous material by directing the plasma plume towards the fibrous material such that the least some of the nanoparticles comprise nanotubes produced in the plasma plume formed by the radio frequency plasma torch that extend transverse to each layer and through pores of the porous arrangement of porous metal-coated fibers to increase the inter-laminar shear strength between the layers throughout a thickness of the laminate material;
infusing the fibrous material with a liquid resin material after at least some of the nanoparticles are deposited on the fibrous material; and
curing the liquid resin to form a substantially solid matrix surrounding the fibrous material.

9. The method of claim 8 , including:
dispersing a second set of nanoparticles in the resin prior to infusing the fibrous material with the liquid resin material.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the second set of nanoparticles comprise boron nitride nanotubes.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
providing the fibrous material comprising the plurality of fibers forming the layer comprises providing the fibrous material comprising the plurality of fibers forming the layer on a mandrel.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
moving the mandrel while causing the at least some of the nanoparticles to be deposited on the fibrous material by directing the plasma plume towards the fibrous material.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
moving the mandrel while causing the at least some of the nanoparticles to he deposited on the fibrous material by directing the plasma plume towards the fibrous material comprises rotating and translating the mandrel while causing the at least some of the nanoparticles to be deposited on the fibrous material by directing the plasma plume towards the fibrous material.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the mandrel is rotated from 110 revolutions per minute to 130 revolutions per minute and translated from 1 inch per second to 3 inches per second.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the mandrel is rotated at 120 revolutions per minute and translated at 2 inches per second.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the mandrel is water-cooled.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a carrier gas and a powder to the radio frequency plasma torch,
wherein the nanoparticles are produced from the carrier gas and the powder in the plasma plume formed by the radio frequency plasma torch.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the powder comprises boron nitride powder.

Assignees

• Nasa
• Nasa

Inventors

• Hales Stephen J
• Alexa Joel A
• Jensen Brian J
• Cano Roberto J
• Lillehei Peter T

Classifications

• C01P2004/13

  Nanotubes · CPC title

• C01B21/064 Primary

  with boron · CPC title