Method for fabricating reinforced composite materials

• Main Authors: BLANTON LEE ALAN, FAIRBANKS ROBERT PAUL, WHITEKER STEPHEN MARK, PRICE RICHARD THOMAS, RONK WARREN ROSAL, BUCZEK MATTHEW BERNARD, MEIBERS GREGORY JOSEPH
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.01.2011
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; BLASTING; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TOTRANSPORTATION; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HEATING; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULARARTICLES; INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TONON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES ORJET-PROPULSION PLANTS; INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUSSUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAMTURBINES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PROCESSES FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A method for fabricating a reinforced matrix composite comprising the step of providing a composite preform having a fibrous structure and applying matrix material onto the preform in locations along the preform. A barrier material is applied to at least a portion of the coated preform to direct the flow of matrix material into the preform. The composite preform is heated to a temperature sufficient to render the matrix material viscous and insufficient to cure the matrix material. The pressure to the interior of the composite preform is reduced, while the pressure to the barrier material is increased. The temperature is maintained to flow the matrix material into the composite preform and to force gases from the fibrous structure. The composite preform is then cured and cooled to form a reinforced matrix composite having a low void content and a substantially uniform matrix distribution.