Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter Company

Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation

Walter A Phillips

James L Melquist

Paul L Kuhl

Donald J Bridges

Ed Ruskowski

Rick Kuehn

David W Wood

A bulk absorber has a continuous concentration gradient of particles with dielectric or magnetic altered properties. The bulk absorber may be made from foam or, ceramic. The particles may be carbon fibers, carbon black, carbon whiskers, coated hollow microspheres, or a combination thereof. A manufacturing system for fabricating a bulk absorber has two delivery devices, a controller, an intermingling device, a positioning device, and a forming device. The delivery devices produce flows of absorber precursors, with at least one of the flows having a concentration of particles having dielectric or magnetic altering properties. The ratio of the flows is controlled by the controller. The intermingling device receives and mixes the flows to produce a combined flow. The particle concentration in the combined flow is controlled by the controller. The positioning device directs the depositing of the combined flow into a cavity to build a non-solidified item. The forming device solidifies the non-solidified item into a bulk absorber. The bulk absorber is also manufactured by the process of producing the flows of absorber precursors, with at least one of the flows having a concentration of particles with dielectric or magnetic altering properties. The flow are intermingled and the flow ratios are varied to produce a combined flow with a desired concentration of particles with dielectric or magnetic altering properties. The combined flow is deposited in a cavity, in a predetermined pattern, to build a non-solidified item. The non-solidified item is solidified into the bulk absorber.

Bulk absorber and process for manufacturing same

A lightweight, three dimensional structural article having low radar reflectivity characteristics and good mechanical properties is fabricated from a syntactic foam core having a structural outer skin. A syntactic foam sealing adhesive film is applied to the surface of syntactic foam core and under the outer skin to both seal the foam core and adhere the outer skin. The syntactic foam sealing adhesive is formulated to provide a uniform layer and to reduce the fabrication time and labor while improving the overall radar absorbing characteristics of the structural article.

Method for making structures having low radar reflectivity

Low density structures having radar absorbing characteristics

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.

Implant material for replacing or augmenting living bone tissue

Growing community of inventors

Tempe, AZ, United States of America

Walter A Phillips