University of California

The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of Transportation

Other

The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of

Richard E Lyon

Scott Eric Groves

Steven J DeTeresa

Richard J Farris

David R Blake

Richard N Walters

Hybrid matrix fiber composites having enhanced compressive performance as well as enhanced stiffness, toughness and durability suitable for compression-critical applications. The methods for producing the fiber composites using matrix hybridization. The hybrid matrix fiber composites comprised of two chemically or physically bonded matrix materials, whereas the first matrix materials are used to impregnate multi-filament fibers formed into ribbons and the second matrix material is placed around and between the fiber ribbons that are impregnated with the first matrix material and both matrix materials are cured and solidified.

Method of producing a hybrid matrix fiber composite

A reference sample for testing fire detectors and a method of testing utilizing the reference samples. The reference sample comprises a fused mixture of pellets of the plastics usually found in aircraft cargo holds, with a heating element embedded in the sample. The pellets are in a plurality of layers with the composition of each layer being homogeneous but the thicknesses and porosities of the layers differing from each other. When the heating element is energized the layers of pellets, which have previously been fused into porous masses, begin to smolder, thereby generating a smoky atmosphere that as nearly as possible simulates the atmosphere in an aircraft cargo hold when there is a fire in the hold. In addition, a flammable liquid can be poured onto the sample and ignited, simultaneously with the energization of the heating element, by a separate ignition source to provide a flaming fire atmosphere.

Reference sample for generating smoky atmosphere

Hybrid matrix fiber composites having enhanced compressive performance as well as enhanced stiffness, toughness and durability suitable for compression-critical applications. The methods for producing the fiber composites using matrix hybridization. The hybrid matrix fiber composites include two chemically or physically bonded matrix materials, whereas the first matrix materials are used to impregnate multi-filament fibers formed into ribbons and the second matrix material is placed around and between the fiber ribbons that are impregnated with the first matrix material and both matrix materials are cured and solidified.

Hybrid matrix fiber composites

A calorimeter that measures heat release rates of very small samples (on the order of one to 10 milligrams) without the need to separately and simultaneously measure the mass loss rate of the sample and the heat of combustion of the fuel gases produced during the fuel generation process. The sample is thermally decomposed in a small volume pyrolysis chamber. The resulting fuel gases are immedediately swept by an inert gas stream from the pyrolysis chamber into a combustion furnace in a plug-like flow. This plug flow substantially synchronizes the emerging fuel gases with the mass loss rate of the sample. Oxygen is metered into the fuel gas stream just before it enters the combustion furnace where the fuel gases are completely oxidized. The effluent from the furnace is analyzed to determine the amount of oxygen consumed per unit time and the heat release rate is computed without the need to separately measure the mass loss rate of the sample.

Heat release rate calorimeter for milligram samples

A calorimeter for measuring flammability parameters of materials using only milligram sample quantities. The thermochemical and thermophysical processes associated with the flaming combustion of solids are reproduced in the device through rapid anaerobic pyrolysis in a thermogravimetric analyzer. Volatile anaerobic thermal decomposition products are swept from the pyrolysis chamber by an inert gas and combined with excess oxygen in a combustion chamber maintained at several hundred degrees Centigrade to simulate the combustion reactions which occur in a well ventilated diffusion flame. Mass loss is measured continuously during the process and heat release rate is calculated from the oxygen consumed from the gas stream.

Microscale combustion calorimeter

A deformation calorimeter that serves to deform a sample material whose temperature changes as a function of the deformation. The temperature change causes heat to flow into the material or out, depending on the character of the deformation, to cause a pressure change in a gas in and around the material. An analyzing scheme is employed to relate the pressure change to the amount of heat evolved during sample deformation.

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Absecon, NJ, United States of America

Richard E Lyon