Method for the production of a fiber composite component, and semifinished textile product therefor

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a fiber composite component includes providing a semi-finished textile product; injecting a matrix material into the semi-finished textile product so as to form an infiltrated semi-finished product, wherein the matrix material includes a thermoplastic film having particles dispersed therein; and curing the infiltrated semi-finished product.

Claims

1. A semi-finished textile product for a fibre composite component comprising: a semi-finished textile product containing at least one semi-finished product layer including a thermoplastic film having particles dispersed therein, wherein the particles are platelet-shaped and are aligned relative to one another parallel to a plane of the film, and wherein the alignment of the particles takes place before and during the formation of the film.

2. The semi-finished textile product as recited in claim 1, wherein the particles are micro-particles.

3. The semi-finished textile product as recited in claim 2, wherein the particles are nano-particles.

4. The semi-finished product as recited in claim 1, wherein the particles are particles of a layered silicate.

5. The semi-finished product as recited in claim 1, the thermoplastic includes a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyetherimide, polyether sulphone, phenoxythermoplastic, polyamide, polyethylenterephthalate, polyethylene, polyester, polyetherester, polyesteramide, polymethylmethacrylate, polypropylene, polystyrene and polyvinylchloride.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In what follows the invention is further described with the aid of an example of embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the figures, each in schematic form:

(2) FIG. 1 shows the dispersion of layered silicate in a thermoplastic,

(3) FIG. 2 shows the manufacture of a film with layered silicate particles of a thermoplastic from FIG. 1 aligned therein,

(4) FIG. 3 shows the manufacture of a semi-finished textile product from sections cut from the film from FIG. 2, and further semi-finished product layers of fibrous material, and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a fibre composite component, manufactured by infiltration of the layered structure of FIG. 3 with an epoxy resin, and subsequent curing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrate the principal steps in the process for the manufacture of a fibre composite component 1 (FIG. 4).

(7) FIG. 1 illustrates the introduction of a layered silicate 10 into a thermoplastic material 12, in what follows also denoted as a thermoplastic, which is formed e.g. from a phenoxy polymer. This introduction can take place e.g. by means of an extruder, to which a thermoplastic granulate is supplied, together with the layered silicate, so as to generate a thermoplastic mass 14, in which particles of the layered silicate 10 are distributed in the thermoplastic 12. In one form of embodiment the introduction of the layered silicate takes place with the addition of one or a plurality of additives to cause or promote an at least partial exfoliation of the layered silicate 10.

(8) Subsequently (or in the same extrusion process) the material 14 is further processed into a thin film 14. In this step, promoted by stretching the film 14 in one or two directions, as is illustrated in FIG. 2, an alignment of the platelet-shaped layered silicate particles 10 takes place such that these are preferably orientated parallel to the plane of the film.

(9) FIG. 3 illustrates the construction that then takes place of a semi-finished textile product 1 by the stacking of semi-finished product layers; these are formed partially from fibrous material layers 16 (e.g. carbon fibres) and partially from planar sections cut from the film 14. In the example represented the fibrous material layers 16 take the form of a dry fibrous material (e.g. unidirectional fibres, multi-axial fibrous layers, a weave, a fibrous mat, etc.). In contrast to this, it is possible as an alternative to use fibrous material already pre-impregnated with a matrix material of the later fibre composite component for the construction of the semi-finished textile product V.

(10) The semi-finished textile product 1 represented in FIG. 3 possesses in any case the particular feature that it contains at least one semi-finished product layer, which is constructed from the film 14 of the thermoplastic 12 with nano-particles (here: exfoliated layered silicate 10) dispersed therein. The one or a plurality of films 14 in this semi-finished product 1 are arranged in accordance with the desired distribution of the nano-particles in the finished fibre composite component.

(11) In accordance with a further development provision is made that the semi-finished product contains a plurality of films of the type described; these differ from one another, however, with regard to the thermoplastic base material and/or the type and/or arrangement relative to one another (e.g. concentration, separation, orientation, etc.) of the particles 10. In other words the semi-finished product need not necessarily contain films (cut sections) from the one and the same film manufacture batch. In this manner can e.g. semi-finished products or fibre composite components be generated, whose properties vary over the thickness. A fire protection layer is in general sensible, e.g. near or on the surface of the fibre composite component in question.

(12) The semi-finished product 1 is then in a further step further processed in a manner known per se, that is to say, it is infiltrated with the desired matrix material (here: an epoxy resin system) and subsequently cured. For this purpose all methods of known art from fibre composite technology (e.g. MARI etc.) come into consideration in principle. In the variant already described above with pre-impregnated fibrous material layers 16 further processing takes place by means of a so-called pre-preg process, for example in a moulding and curing tool.

(13) FIG. 4 illustrates the finished fibre composite component 1 as a result of injection and curing of an epoxy resin 18. It consists of the cured epoxy resin matrix 18, with fibres of the fibrous material layers 16 embedded therein, and nano-dispersed and aligned layered silicate particles 10 embedded therein.

(14) The thermoplastic material 12 still surrounding the particles 10 in the semi-finished product layers 14 In the semi-finished product 1 (FIG. 3), is for practical purposes no longer present in this form in the finished component 1. It has dissolved at the latest during the thermal curing process (e.g. at more than 120 C., e.g. at about 180 C.). In the finished component 1 the particles 10 are therefore, for the most part, surrounded by the fully cross-linked epoxy resin 18.

(15) In summary, the invention enables in particular the introduction of dispersed and orientated layered silicates into the epoxy resin matrix of a fibre composite component. The soluble thermoplastic hereby used serves as a vehicle for the introduction of the layered silicate particles, and in practice has just a negligible influence on the resulting fibre composite matrix. Furthermore, a prefabricated semi-finished product for the method described lies within the framework of the invention.