United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Robert J Surace

Stuart Alan Sanders

Penny D Wooton

A method for preparing a metal matrix composite (MMC) monotape from a monofilament, is provided. The monofilament is first coated with a primary coating having metal particles uniformly distributed therein to form a primary monofilament. The primary monofilament is then clad with a secondary coating of a resin binder that does not resolvate the primary coating and thus interrupt the distribution of the metal particles therein, to form a doubly coated monofilament. The doubly coated monofilament is then wound in adjacent coils on a mandrel while the secondary coating is still wet so that the coils are bound together by the secondary coating. The end of the monofilament is then cut on the mandrel and secured to a coil adjacent thereto and the so-wound monofilament is then dried on the mandrel. Then the so-wound secondary monofilament is cut across its coils on the mandrel and removed to obtain the resulting MMC monotape. In another embodiment, two or more of the MMC monotapes can be overlayed and adhered together to form a composite part. The invention thus provides a method for preparing the above monotape in one or more layers and the product resulting from such method.

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Port St. Lucie, FL, United States of America

Robert J Surace