Hexcel Corporation

Hexcel Composites Limited

Yen-Seine Wang

Maureen Boyle

Gordon Emmerson

Yi-Jui Wu

Clark Russell Smith

Robert B Morrison

Lance B Smith

Mark S Caldwell

Jessica Leandro

Martin Richard Simmons

Paul Mackenzie

Dana Blair

Frank W Lee

Yan Zhu

Ching-Chi Kuo

Bryce Floryancic

Kathlyn Lizette Baron

Chris Mason

Kenneth S Baron

Emi Lee

David B Conway

Ken Baron

Robert Petrisko

Martin Simmons

Robert Morrision

Ye-Jui Wu

A semipreg that can be cured/molded to form aerospace composite parts including rocket booster casings. The semipreg includes a fibrous layer and a resin layer located on one side of the fibrous layer. The resin layer includes an epoxy component that is a combination of a hydrocarbon epoxy novolac resin and a trifunctional epoxy resin and optionally a tetrafunctional epoxy resin. The resin matrix includes polyethersulfone as a toughening agent and a thermoplastic particle component.

Rocket booster casings made with semipreg having a thermoplastic toughened novolac-based epoxy resin matrix

Pre-impregnated composite material (prepreg) that can be cured/molded to form aerospace composite parts. The prepreg includes carbon reinforcing fibers and an uncured resin matrix. The resin matrix includes an epoxy component, polyethersulfone as a toughening agent, and a curing agent. The resin matrix is also composed of a thermoplastic particle component that includes hybrid polyamide particles wherein each hybrid particle contains a mixture of amorphous and semi-crystalline polyamide.

Matrix resins toughened with hybrid polyamide particles

Pre-impregnated composite material (prepreg) that can be cured/molded to form aerospace composite parts that are designed to tolerate hot and wet conditions. The prepreg includes fibers and an uncured resin. The uncured resin includes an epoxy component that is a combination of a trifunctional epoxy resin, a tetra functional epoxy resin and a solid epoxy resin. The resin includes polyethersulfone and a thermoplastic particle component. The uncured resin also includes a curing agent.

Thermoplastic particle-toughened prepreg for use in making composite parts which tolerate hot and wet conditions

Pre-impregnated composite material (prepreg) that can be cured/molded to form aerospace composite parts that are designed to tolerate hot and wet conditions. The prepreg includes fibers and an uncured resin. The uncured resin includes an epoxy component that is a combination of a trifunctional epoxy resin, a tetrafunctional epoxy resin and a solid epoxy resin. The resin further includes polyethersulfone as a toughening agent and a curing agent.

Prepreg for use in making composite parts which tolerate hot and wet conditions

Semipreg with thermoplastic toughened novolac-based epoxy resin matrix

Pre-impregnated composite material (prepreg) that can be cured/molded to form aerospace composite parts. The prepreg includes carbon reinforcing fibers and an uncured resin matrix. The resin matrix includes an epoxy component that is a combination of a hydrocarbon epoxy novolac resin and a trifunctional epoxy resin and optionally a tetrafunctional epoxy resin. The resin matrix includes polyethersulfone as a toughening agent and a thermoplastic particle component.

Composite material with thermoplastic toughened novolac-based epoxy resin matrix

An alternate resin-coated paper material for use in making honeycomb. The alternate resin-coated paper material is made from a paper that contains from 30 to 50 weight percent aramid fibers and from 50 to 70 weight percent of non-aramid fibers. A fire retarded phenolic resin is incorporated into the paper to make it self-extinguishing in less than 10 seconds with a self-extinguishing burn length of less than 12 inches when exposed to a 12-second vertical flame in accordance with the vertical burn test requirements set forth in 14 C.F.R. Part 25.583. The fire retarded phenolic resin includes a phenol formaldehyde resin and a phosphorous-containing fire retardant.

Fire retarded aramid fiber-based honeycomb

Pre-impregnated composite material (prepreg) that can be cured/molded to form aerospace composite parts. The prepreg includes carbon reinforcing fibers and an uncured resin matrix. The resin matrix includes an epoxy component that is a combination of a hydrocarbon epoxy novolac resin and a trifunctional epoxy resin and a tetrafunctional epoxy resin. The resin matrix includes polyethersulfone as a toughening agent and a thermoplastic particle component that includes a mixture of polyamide particles and polyimide particles.

Uncured epoxy resin for use in making prepreg for aerospace applications. The resin includes an epoxy resin component comprising difunctional epoxy resin, trifunctional epoxy resin and/or tetrafunctional epoxy resin and a sufficient amount of [3-(4-aminobenzoyl) oxyphenyl]4-aminobenzoate (3-ABOAB), as a curing agent, such that the uncured resin can be stored at room temperature of at least 6 weeks and wherein the uncured resin can be fully cured in no more than 2 hours at a temperature of between 175&#xb0; C. and 185&#xb0; C.

Extended room temperature storage of epoxy resins

Amino benzoates have been found to be useful curing agents for epoxy resins particularly para amino benzoates containing at least two primary amine groups and at least two carboxyl moieties, the amino benzoates are particularly useful as curatives in prepregs.

Amino benzoates or benzamides as curing agents for epoxy resins

Pre-impregnated composite material (prepreg) is provided that can be cured/molded to form composite parts having high levels of compressive strength under dry conditions at room temperature and which retain their compressive strength when subjected to hot and wet conditions. The pre-impregnated composite materials are composed of reinforcing fibers and an uncured resin matrix. The uncured resin matrix includes a resin component made up of one or more difunctional epoxy resins and multifunctional epoxy resins. The uncured resin matrix further includes a thermoplastic particle component, a thermoplastic toughening agent and a curing agent. The thermoplastic particle component is composed of a mixture of a first group of polyamide particles that do not contain crosslinked polyamide and a second group of polyamide particles that contain crosslinked polyamide.

Retaining compressive strength of thermoplastic-toughened epoxy composites under hot and wet conditions

Pre-impregnated composite material (prepreg) is provided that can be cured/molded to form composite parts having high compression strength under hot and wet conditions, as well as, high damage tolerance and interlaminar fracture toughness. The matrix resin includes a thermoplastic particle component that includes polyamide particles which are composed of the polymeric condensation product of a methyl derivative of bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)methane and an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid.

Composite material with polyamide particles

Pre-impregnated composite material (prepreg) is provided that can be cured/molded to form composite parts having high damage tolerance and interlaminar fracture toughness. The matrix resin includes a thermoplastic particle component that includes a mixture of polyamide 12 particles and polyamide 11 particles.

Composite material with polyamide particle mixtures

Thermoplastic toughened epoxy resin for use in making prepreg for aerospace applications. The resin includes an epoxy resin component comprising a tri functional epoxy resin and/or tetra functional epoxy, a thermoplastic component and 4,4'-Bis(p-aminophenoxy) biphenyl (BAPB) as the curing agent. The use of BAPB as a curative was found to increase the resistance of the cured resin to attack by solvents.

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San Ramon, CA, United States of America

Yen-Seine Wang