Hexcel Composites Limited

Stephen Mortimer

John Leslie Cawse

Esteban Villalon

Neal Patel

Chrisopher J Wade

Scott Stevens

Estaban Vilalon

One or more layers of structured thermoplastic polymer are located within the interleaf zones of a preform or prepreg. The structured thermoplastic polymer is a film or membrane formed by: a) dissolving polyethersulfone or polyetherimide in a solvent to form a polymer dope; b) dispersing a curing agent for an epoxy resin in the polymer dope to form a curative-enriched polymer dope; c) casting the curative-enriched polymer dope onto a surface to form a dope layer; and d) removing the solvent from the dope layer to form a layer of structured thermoplastic polymer.

Structured thermoplastic in composite interleaves

One or more layers of structured thermoplastic polymer, such as a light weight veil of thermoplastic polymer fibers, are located within the interleaf zone of laminates that are composed of fibrous layers and thermosetting resin. The thermoplastic veils are used in the interleaf zones as a replacement for thermoplastic toughening particles.

A resin composition for producing a composite part, comprising a first resin component comprising a glycidyl ether epoxy resin, a second resin component comprising a naphthalene based epoxy resin, and an amino-phenyl fluorene curative; wherein the epoxy resin components a) and b) contain up to 33 wt % of the second resin component.

Resin composition and composite structure containing resin

A non-fibrous, apertured membrane comprises at least one thermoplastic polymeric material and has a discrete porous structure. The membrane is soluble in the thermoset matrix polymer of a composite material.

Thermoplastic toughening material and related method

Thermosetting resins are provided that are toughened with an irradiated thermoplastic toughening agent and which have reduced levels of solvent-induced micro crack formation. The thermoplastic toughening agent is treated with a sufficient amount of high-energy radiation (e.g. electron beam or gamma rays) to cause a reduction in solvent-induced micro crack formation in the cured resin when compared to the same toughened thermosetting resin in which the non-irradiated version of the thermoplastic toughening agent is used.

Thermosetting resin containing irradiated thermoplastic toughening agent

The processing window for thermosetting resins that contain particulate hardeners is prolonged using the combined steps of heat-treating the resin to form a low-viscosity resin mixture in which the particles are dissolved and then molding the low-viscosity resin mixture at temperatures below the dissolution temperature of the particles to infuse a fibrous preform. The infused resin preform is heated to the curing temperature of the resin to provide final curing of the resin.

Growing community of inventors

St. Ives, United Kingdom

Stephen Mortimer