Illustrative examples of forming and using suitably adapted materials for improving interface strength between thermoset-thermoplastic joined parts includes exposure of a thermoplastic substrate to a plasma to form an amine-functionalized substrate having amine chemical moieties disposed on a first surface. The first surface of the thermoplastic substrate is positioned adjacent to and contacts a second surface of a thermoset substrate to form a workpiece. The thermoset substrate includes epoxide chemical moieties on and within material forming the thermoset substrate. The workpiece is subsequently heated to form a structure, where heating of the workpiece causes covalent chemical bonds to form between the plasma-treated first surface of the thermoplastic substrate and the second surface of the thermoset substrate. Thereafter, additional thermoplastic components can be fusion bonded to a surface of the thermoplastic substrate opposite the first surface—thereby providing improved attachment of additional thermoplastic components to the thermoset substrate.

An optimized thread profile (140) for joining composite materials is presented. This thread profile (140) maintains a certain material strength when used as part of a composite threaded joint (101). The thread profile (140) comprises a repeating pattern of four components: a crest region (150), a first flank (162), a root region (170) and a second flank (164). The thread profile (140) is symmetrical, that is, the dimensions of the four components do not change throughout the length of the thread profile. The crest (152) has a flat profile and the root (172) has a rounded profile. When a shaft (120) is affixed to a joining shaft (110) using this optimized thread profile (140), the flat profiles of the crest (152) of the shaft (120) and corresponding rounded profiles of the root (172) of the joining shaft (110) create a gap to accommodate a substance such as an adhesive or a lubricant. Similarly, the flat profiles of the crest (152) of the joining shaft (110) and corresponding rounded profiles of the root (172) of the shaft (120) create a gap to accommodate a substance.

An optimized thread profile (140) for joining composite materials is presented. This thread profile (140) maintains a certain material strength when used as part of a composite threaded joint (101). The thread profile (140) comprises a repeating pattern of four components: a crest region (150), a first flank (162), a root region (170) and a second flank (164). The thread profile (140) is symmetrical, that is, the dimensions of the four components do not change throughout the length of the thread profile. The crest (152) has a flat profile and the root (172) has a rounded profile. When a shaft (120) is affixed to a joining shaft (110) using this optimized thread profile (140), the flat profiles of the crest (152) of the shaft (120) and corresponding rounded profiles of the root (172) of the joining shaft (110) create a gap to accommodate a substance such as an adhesive or a lubricant. Similarly, the flat profiles of the crest (152) of the joining shaft (110) and corresponding rounded profiles of the root (172) of the shaft (120) create a gap to accommodate a substance.

A standing rigging element, in particular a mast of a vessel, that has a closed profile, and a method of manufacturing the standing rigging element. The halves of the closed profile are made of layers of structural textile saturated with an epoxy resin and have a shape corresponding to the shape of the standing rigging element, after gluing. The mast includes a layer of photovoltaic modules as one of the laminate layers, with a flat set of flexible photovoltaic cells on the outer surface. Cables collecting electricity from photovoltaic modules are routed from each photovoltaic module to common collecting cables, connected to the electric power supply installation of the vessel. The photovoltaic module includes layers of structural textile, wherein one of the layers is a layer of flexible photovoltaic cells.

The present invention relates to curable resin compositions, to methods for producing cured compositions using said curable resin compositions, and to items, in particular molded parts, produced by means of such method.

A high modulus composite part is disclosed comprising a polymer resin; and a plurality of high-performance unidirectional glass fibers. The high-performance unidirectional glass fibers have an elastic modulus of at least 89 GPa and a tensile strength of at least 4,000 MPa, according to ASTM D2343-09. The composite part comprises a fiber weight fraction (FWF) of no more than 88% and an elastic modulus of at least 60 GPa, according to ASTM D7205.

An object of the present invention is to provide a prepreg and a laminate for producing a laminate suitable as a structural material, which have excellent compressive strength and interlaminar fractural toughness values, and can be firmly integrated with another structural member by welding. The present invention provides a prepreg including the following structural components [A] reinforcing fibers, [B] a thermosetting resin, and [C] a thermoplastic resin, in which [B] has a rubbery state elastic modulus of 10 MPa or more at a temperature obtained by adding 50° C. to a glass transition temperature in a state in which a degree of cure is 90% or more, [C] is present in a surface of the prepreg, and the reinforcing fibers [A] are present, which are included in a resin area including {B] and a resin area including [C] across an interface between the two resin areas.

A method and apparatus are provided for mitigating if not eliminating voids and improving wetting of fibers in prepreg sheet materials.

The present disclosure provides an impregnation device for a fiber prepreg, which includes a film layer separation assembly, a hot pressing element, and a thermal barrier element. The hot pressing element is disposed beneath the film layer separation assembly. The thermal barrier element is disposed between the film layer separation assembly and the hot pressing element. The present disclosure also provides an impregnation method for a fiber prepreg.

A method of designing and forming a piezoelectric ceramic crystal integrating an impedance matching region and a backing region. The method includes receiving one or more required operating parameters of the piezoelectric ceramic crystal for an application, iteratively modeling and simulating performance of one or more materials, structures, and gradients to utilize within the piezoelectric ceramic crystal, identifying at least one material, structure, or gradient that exhibits predicted performance that at least substantially achieves the one or more required operating parameters of the piezoelectric ceramic crystal, outputting a design of the piezoelectric ceramic crystal, and forming the piezoelectric ceramic crystal via one or more additive manufacturing processes.