Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation

The Boeing Company

Donald J Bridges

James L Melquist

Edward S Harrison

Michael C Miller

Timothy J Krey

Walter A Phillips

David W Wood

An optically clear structural laminate includes a thermosetting resin, a silane coupling agent and a filler. The laminate has a high weight to strength ratio and is capable of optical transmission over a wide range of temperatures. The laminate has increased tensile strength and is capable of being easily formed into complex shaped components. The structural properties of the laminate make it useful as aircraft canopies and windows.

Methods of making optically clear structural laminates

An optically clear structural laminate includes a thermosetting resin, a silane coupling agent and a filler. The laminate has a high weight to strength ratio and is capable of optical transmission over a wide range of temperatures.The laminate has increased tensile strength and is capable of being easily formed into complex shaped components. The structural properties of the laminate make it useful as aircraft canopies and windows.

Optically clear structural laminate

A low-density, syntactic foam material is provided according to the invention. The syntactic foam material is prepared by mixing together a plurality of microballoons and a finely divided solid thermosetting resin. Fibers are also preferably incorporated into the material during processing to impart specific properties. The mixture is heated to allow the thermosetting resin to flow and wet the microballoons in the mixture. The mixture is then cured to set and crosslink the thermosetting resin to form the syntactic foam of the invention. The syntactic foam material has highly uniform properties and can be used in aerospace applications.

Thermosetting syntactic foams and their preparation

An implant device material is provided for replacement or augmentation of living bone tissue involving a thermoplastic syntactic foam material formed from microballoons, a polymer such as polyetherimide which wets and binds the microballons into an array, and interstitial space is present between the microballoons bound into the array to create porosity. A fiber material can be embedded within the array. The thermoplastic syntactic foam material is highly biocompatible and stable with no apparent adverse effects on a recipient. The implant device material also effectively conducts bone into the porous implant via its controlled interstitial porosity. The implant material also can be readily molded or machined into complex structural shapes, density and porosity, such that it can be closely tailored to mimic the natural bone tissue to be replaced.

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Mesa, AZ, United States of America

Donald J Bridges