A method of manufacture of a composite moulding material (1100) comprising a fibrous layer (1102) and a graphene/graphitic dispersion (1104) applied to the fibrous layer (1102) at one or more localised regions (1106) over a surface (1108) of the fibrous layer(1102) in which the graphene/graphitic dispersion (1104) is comprised of graphene nanoplates, graphene oxide nanoplates, reduced graphene oxide nanoplates, bilayer graphene nanoplates, bilayer graphene oxide nanoplates, bilayer reduced graphene oxide nanoplates, few-layer graphene nanoplates, few-layer graphene oxide nanoplates, few-layer reduced graphene oxide nanoplates, graphene/graphite nanoplates of 6 to 14 layers of carbon atoms, graphite flakes with nanoscale dimensions and 40 or less layers of carbon atoms, graphite flakes with nanoscale dimensions and 25 to 30 layers of carbon atoms, graphite flakes with nanoscale dimensions and 25 to 35 layers of carbon atoms, graphite flakes with nanoscale dimensions and 20 to 35 layers of carbon atoms, or graphite flakes with nanoscale dimensions and 20 to 40 layers of carbon atoms, in which the dispersion (1104) is applied to the fibrous layer (1102) using at least one valvejet print head (1112).

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for composites, including carbon fiber-metal composites. In some cases, the composites may be formed from one, two, or more layers of metals or other substrates, sandwiching a plurality of aligned fibers. The fibers may be substantially aligned, and may be present at relatively high densities within the composite. The composites may be prepared, in some aspects, by dispersing fibers by neutralizing the electrostatic interactions between the fibers, for example using aqueous liquids containing the fibers that are able to neutralize the electrostatic interactions that typically occur between the fibers. In some cases, the fibers may be aligned using techniques such as shear flow and/or magnetism. Other aspects are generally directed to methods of using such composites, kits including such composites, or the like.

A composite sandwich panel comprises a first composite skin, a second composite skin, a hollow cell core between the first composite skin and the second composite skin, and a first over-crush edge region with a first edge. The first edge has a first thickness at least 40% less than a nominal thickness of the composite sandwich panel. The first over-crush edge region has a length of at least 0.25 inches over which a thickness of the composite sandwich panel decreases.

Disclosed herein are carbon-fiber reinforced polymeric composite and methods related thereto.

A method of manufacturing a cured composite structure includes placing a radius filler element into a radius cavity extending along a length of a composite base member formed of dry fiber material comprised of reinforcing fibers. The radius filler element is formed of a radius filler material. The method also includes infusing resin into the dry fiber material, and chemically reacting the resin with the radius filler material to create a mixture of resin and radius filler material along side surface interfaces between the radius filler element and the composite base member. The method additionally includes curing or solidifying the resin, and allowing solvent in the resin to evaporate causing hardening of the mixture and bonding of the radius filler element to the composite base member, and resulting in a cured composite structure.

A method of fabricating a formed structure with expandable polymeric shell microspheres. A first plurality of polymeric shell microspheres are heated from an unexpanded state to an expanded state to form a plurality of expanded microspheres. The plurality of expanded microspheres are mixed with an epoxy resin and a second plurality of unexpanded polymeric shell microspheres. The mixture is formed in a shape to create a preform. The preform is wrapped with fiber tape to create a wrapped preform. The wrapped preform is placed in a mold. The mold is heated and the second plurality of unexpanded microspheres expand from an unexpanded state to an expanded state. The mold is cooled and the formed structure is removed from the mold.

A method of forming an integral fastener for a ceramic matrix composite component comprises the steps of forming a fiber preform with an opening, forming a fiber fastener, inserting the fiber fastener into the opening, and infiltrating a matrix material into the fiber preform and fiber fastener to form a ceramic matrix composite component with an integral fastener. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.

Provided are composite feedstock strips for additive manufacturing and methods of forming such strips. A composite feedstock strip may include continuous unidirectional fibers extending parallel to each other and to the principal axis of the strip. This fiber continuity yields superior mechanical properties, such as the tensile strength along strip's principal axis. Composite feedstock strips may be fabricated by slitting a composite laminate in a direction parallel to the fibers. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the slit strips may be changed by reattributing material at least on the surface of the strips and/or by coating the slit strips with another material. This cross-sectional shape change may be performed without disturbing the continuous fibers within the strips. The cross-sectional distribution of fibers within the strips may be uneven with higher concentration of fibers near the principal axis of the strips, for example, to assist with additive manufacturing.

Provided is an intermediate base material (incised prepreg) which has exceptional surface quality and mechanical properties when solidified and with which it is possible to obtain a fiber-reinforced plastic having excellent three-dimensional shape conformance properties. This incised prepreg has, in a prepreg that includes a resin and reinforcing fibers oriented in one direction, incisions substantially parallel to the orientation direction of the reinforcing fibers (the incisions substantially parallel to the orientation direction of the reinforcing fibers are referred to as parallel incisions) and incisions that cut across the reinforcing fibers (the incisions that cut across the reinforcing fibers are referred to as intersecting incisions).

Provided is an intermediate base material (incised prepreg) which has exceptional surface quality and mechanical properties when solidified and with which it is possible to obtain a fiber-reinforced plastic having excellent three-dimensional shape conformance properties. This incised prepreg has, in a prepreg that includes a resin and reinforcing fibers oriented in one direction, incisions substantially parallel to the orientation direction of the reinforcing fibers (the incisions substantially parallel to the orientation direction of the reinforcing fibers are referred to as parallel incisions) and incisions that cut across the reinforcing fibers (the incisions that cut across the reinforcing fibers are referred to as intersecting incisions).