The Boeing Company

University of Washington

Theboeing Company

Dart Container Corporation

Microgreen Polymers, Inc.

Xiaoxi Wang

Gary E Georgeson

John Christopher Wilde

Jonathan A Santiago

Jason W Drexler

Morteza Safai

Krishna V Nadella

Nathanial C Cuddy

Thomas Seth Perkins

Gary D Benham

Abhishek Pradeep Kulkarni

Richard Henry Bossi

Vipin Kumar

Kjersta Lynn Larson-Smith

Gwen Marie Lanphere Gross

Jill Elisabeth Seebergh

Shuying Zhu

Jeffrey C Mentel

Stephen P Jones

Methods of recovering and/or recycling expanded polymer tooling, the methods including collecting expanded polymer tooling, reducing the collected expanded polymer tooling into smaller particles, treating the reduced expanded polymer tooling in order to yield an at least partially purified recovered polymer composition, and then collecting the at least partially purified recovered polymer composition. The at least partially purified recovered polymer composition can then be used to form new expandable polymer tooling.

Methods for recovering expanded polymer tooling

A panel assembly (such as for an internal cabin of an aircraft) includes at least one liquid flow path formed on at least one surface through surface treatment. The at least one liquid flow path is formed in relation to at least one bank on the at least one surface. The at least one liquid flow path is configured to divert liquid to a desired location.

Liquid-diverting panel assemblies

A method for indicating a sanitation status of a surface may comprise contacting a coating on a surface with a cleaning composition, wherein the coating comprises a chromic material and exhibits a baseline optical state under illumination with light having a first wavelength prior to contact with the cleaning composition and an altered optical state under illumination with light having a second wavelength after contact with the cleaning composition, the cleaning composition configured to induce a switch from the baseline optical state to the altered optical state; and illuminating the coating with the first wavelength of light, the second wavelength of light, or both, to reveal a sanitation status of the surface. Systems for indicating a sanitation status of a surface are also provided.

Methods and systems for indicating a sanitation status of a surface

A method includes providing a structure having a surface, treating a portion of the surface to modify a wettability of the portion of the structure, and forming at least one liquid flow path on the surface through said treating.

Methods for forming liquid flow paths on a surface of a structure

Methods and apparatus to couple a decorative composite having a reinforcing layer to a panel are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a decorative layer to couple to a panel. The decorative layer including a first tile, a second tile, and an adhesive liner positioned between the first tile and the second tile to couple respective edges of first and second tiles.

Methods and apparatus to couple a decorative composite having a reinforcing layer to a panel

Methods of manufacturing composite workpieces that include adding an expandable element to an internal volume of a constraining container proximate to a uncured composite workpiece supported on a rigid form, where the expandable element is configured to expand when a predetermined change is produced in an attribute of the expandable element; expanding the expandable element by producing the predetermined change in the attribute of the expandable element, so that an expansion of the expandable element applies pressure to the workpiece supported on the rigid form within the internal volume, and curing the composite workpiece while the resulting pressure is applied to the workpiece supported on the rigid form.

Expandable tooling systems and methods

Methods of manufacturing composite workpieces that include positioning a heat-generating element proximate to an uncured composite workpiece, triggering the heat-generating element to produce an exothermic chemical reaction or exothermic physical reaction so that the temperature of the uncured composite workpiece is raised to a predetermined first temperature, and curing the composite workpiece while it is at a temperature that is at least the predetermined first temperature.

Heat-generating tooling systems

A material system including a plurality of expandable pellets or a monolithic flexible carrier is disclosed, each of which may include a polymer matrix configured to hold an expandable core, and a flexible skin configured to encapsulate the polymer matrix, and where the flexible skin is at least partially permeable with respect to the expandable core or a gas released by the expandable core. Implementations of the material system may include where the polymer matrix may include a thermoplastic polymer. The material system may include a charging source configured to introduce blowing agent. A method of curing a composite part is also described.

Reusable expandable media with flexible skin for composite manufacturing and methods thereof

A method of curing a composite part, including placing an uncured composite part on a mandrel, placing a plurality of expandable pellets on the uncured composite part, expanding the plurality of expandable pellets, applying a positive pressure to the uncured composite part, and curing the uncured composite part.

Expandable media with flexible skin as tooling for composite parts

A method for repairing a composite structure, includes creating a repair cavity in a composite structure, placing foamable media in the repair cavity, placing a replacement skin over the repair cavity, and expanding the foamable media placed in the repair cavity.

Method for repairing composite structures using foamable media

Skinned cell structures and methods of producing the same are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus includes a placer to place foamable structures together to define a bundle, a restrainer to restrain the bundle, an activator to activate the foamable structures to expand and form a cell structure within the restrainer, a trimmer to trim the cell structure to define a core, and an assembler to couple a skin to the core to define the skinned cell structure.

Skinned cell structures and methods of producing the same

Composite fabrication system and associated methods. In one embodiment, a composite fabrication system comprises a molding tool that includes a forming surface at least partially disposed within a constrained space, and a foamable material that expands inside of the constrained space to form an expanded material that presses a layup of one or more composite layers against the molding tool. The composite fabrication system further comprises a curing device configured to cure the layup to form a composite part, and a cutting wire embedded in the constrained space that is heated and configured to cut the expanded material into pieces that are removable from the constrained space.

Cutting wire for removal of expanded material after curing of a composite part

A system for curing a composite part, includes a mandrel configured to receive and support the uncured composite part; a plurality of expandable pellets disposed on the uncured composite part; and a mold configured to hold the mandrel, the uncured composite part, and the plurality of expandable pellets, wherein the plurality of expandable pellets are configured to expand and apply a positive pressure to the uncured composite part according to a change in condition or triggering event, and wherein each of the plurality of expandable pellets includes a blowing agent, a polymer matrix configured to hold the blowing agent, and a flexible skin configured to encapsulate the polymer matrix and the blowing agent, wherein the flexible skin is at least partially permeable with respect to the blowing agent or a gas released by the blowing agent.

Growing community of inventors

Mukilteo, WA, United States of America

Xiaoxi Wang