Systems and methods for forming short fiber films, composite materials including thermosetting resins, and other composite materials.

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for composite materials, including short fiber films, and other composite materials. In certain aspects, composite materials are provided that include a plurality of aligned fibers. The fibers can be substantially aligned and can be present at a relatively high density within the composite material. For example, the composite material can include substantially aligned carbon fibers embedded in a thermoplastic matrix. In some aspects, the composite materials can be prepared, for example, by dispersing the fibers using an aqueous liquid containing the fibers that can neutralize electrostatic interactions that normally occur between the fibers. The liquid can be applied to the substrate, and the fibers can be aligned using techniques, such as shear flow and / or magnetism. Other aspects generally relate to methods of using such composite materials, kits including such composite materials, and the like.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims the benefits of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 872,686, filed on 10 June 2019, entitled “System and Method for Short Fiber Films and Other Composite Materials,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 938,265, filed on 20 November 2019, entitled “Method and System for Forming Composite Materials Including Thermosetting Resins.” Each of these is incorporated by direct reference.

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to composite materials including short fiber films, composite materials including thermosetting resins, and systems and methods for other composite materials. This disclosure also generally relates to methods and systems for forming such composite materials. [Background technology]

[0003] Conventional carbon fiber composite materials are characterized by a planar accumulation of long carbon fibers. In some composite materials, the long carbon fibers are woven into a multiaxial fabric or a unidirectional tape. The accumulation of long carbon fibers is immersed in a polymer resin to form composite material layers that can be laminated together with other composite material layers to form components. Because carbon fibers are a brittle material, strong bending or sharp angles in the component will cause the carbon fibers to break down. The broken fibers introduce defects and impair the mechanical properties. Avoiding performance loss due to the continuity of the long carbon fibers is a limitation of conventional carbon fiber composite materials.

[0004] This problem can be mitigated by fabricating composite material layers with short (<5mm) carbon fibers instead of long carbon fibers. Unlike long carbon fibers, short carbon fibers can easily slide, cover, and form around strong bends or sharp angles. Randomly oriented short carbon fibers can be used for components with lower performance requirements. For components with high mechanical property requirements, the short carbon fibers need to be highly oriented to approach the performance of long carbon fiber composite materials. Highly oriented short carbon fibers, when oriented along the Z axis, can also be used to dramatically enhance the Z-axis mechanical properties of carbon fiber composite materials. In all cases, a high fiber volume (>45%) with uniform dispersion of short carbon fibers is required in the composite material. However, there is no commercially available method for producing short carbon fiber composite materials with a high fiber volume content while maintaining the dispersion or alignment of short fibers. Therefore, improvement is needed. [Overview of the project]

[0005] This disclosure relates to systems and methods for composite materials, including short fiber films and other composite materials in general. The subject matter of this disclosure includes, in some cases, related products, alternative solutions to specific problems, and / or multiple different uses of one or more systems and / or articles.

[0006] In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to articles in general. In some embodiments, the articles include a composite material comprising a substrate and a plurality of discontinuous fibers included in at least a portion of the substrate. In some cases, the plurality of discontinuous fibers are substantially aligned at a fiber volume fraction of at least 30 vol% of the whole composite material.

[0007] In another aspect, the present disclosure generally relates to a method. According to one set of embodiments, the method includes applying a liquid, which is a liquid containing a plurality of discontinuous fibers, to a substrate to align at least some of the plurality of discontinuous fibers via shear flow, applying a magnetic field to the liquid to align at least some of the plurality of discontinuous fibers, and forming a fiber-containing substrate excluding the liquid.

[0008] In another set of embodiments, the method includes applying a liquid, which is a liquid containing a plurality of discontinuous fibers, to a substrate; applying a magnetic field to the liquid to align at least some of the plurality of discontinuous fibers and / or applying a shearing fluid to the substrate to align at least some of the plurality of discontinuous fibers via shear flow; and forming a fiber-containing substrate excluding the liquid.

[0009] In another aspect, the present disclosure includes a method of making one or more of the embodiments described herein, such as short fiber films and other composite materials. In yet another aspect, the present disclosure includes a method of using one or more of the embodiments described herein, such as short fiber films and other composite materials.

[0010] The present disclosure also generally relates to composite materials including composite materials containing thermosetting resins, and methods and systems for forming such composite materials in some embodiments.

[0011] For example, one aspect generally relates to a composite material including a thermosetting resin polymer and a plurality of discontinuous fibers contained in at least a part of the composite material. In some embodiments, the plurality of discontinuous fibers are substantially aligned at a fiber volume fraction of at least 20 vol% of the entire composite material.

[0012] Another embodiment relates to a method in general. In one set of embodiments, the method includes the steps of: coating at least a portion of a substrate containing discontinuous fibers with a thermosetting resin polymer precursor; curing the thermosetting resin polymer precursor to form a thermosetting resin polymer; and removing at least some of the thermosetting resin polymer from the substrate as a polymer layer. In some embodiments, the discontinuous fibers are substantially aligned and present in a volume fraction of at least 20 vol% of the substrate.

[0013] The method, in another set of embodiments, generally relates to the steps of: coating at least a portion of a substrate with a slurry containing water and discontinuous fibers; aligning at least some of the discontinuous fibers; removing water from the slurry to produce a substrate containing the substantially aligned discontinuous fibers; coating at least a portion of the substrate with a thermosetting resin polymer precursor; curing the thermosetting resin polymer precursor to form a thermosetting resin polymer; and removing at least some of the thermosetting resin polymer from the substrate as a polymer layer.

[0014] In yet another embodiment of the set, the method includes the steps of: coating at least a portion of a substrate with a slurry containing water and discontinuous fibers; aligning at least some of the discontinuous fibers; coating at least a portion of the substrate with a thermosetting resin polymer precursor; curing the thermosetting resin polymer precursor to form a thermosetting resin polymer; and removing at least some of the thermosetting resin polymer from the substrate as a polymer layer.

[0015] In another embodiment, this disclosure includes a method for producing one or more of the embodiments described herein. In yet another embodiment, this disclosure includes a method for using one or more of the embodiments described herein.

[0016] Other advantages and novel features of this disclosure will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of various non-limiting embodiments of this disclosure, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] Non-limiting embodiments of this disclosure will be described by example with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are schematic and not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or substantially identical component shown is typically represented by a single number. For clarity, not all components are labeled in each drawing, and this is also true for all components of each embodiment of this disclosure where drawings are shown that do not necessarily require a person skilled in the art to understand this disclosure. In the drawings: [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a substrate having aligned carbon fibers according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows a composite material having aligned carbon fibers in another embodiment of the present disclosure; and [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows a SEM image of a composite material according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] This disclosure relates to composite materials generally comprising short fiber films, and systems and methods for other composite materials. In one embodiment, a composite material comprising a plurality of aligned fibers is provided. The fibers may be substantially aligned and may be present at relatively high densities within the composite material. For example, the composite material may include substantially aligned carbon fibers incorporated into a thermoplastic resin substrate. In some embodiments, the composite material may be prepared by dispersing the fibers by neutralizing the electrostatic interactions between the fibers, for example, using an aqueous liquid containing fibers that can neutralize the electrostatic interactions that normally occur between the fibers. The liquid may be applied to the substrate, and the fibers may be aligned using techniques, such as shear flow and / or magnetism. Other embodiments relate to methods for using such composite materials in general, kits comprising such composite materials, etc.

[0019] This disclosure also relates to composite materials, including composite materials generally comprising thermosetting resins, and methods and systems for forming such composite materials. One embodiment relates to a method for moving aligned fibers (e.g., carbon fibers) using a polymer, such as a thermosetting resin polymer (e.g., epoxy). In some cases, the polymer can be coated onto a substrate containing fibers, and compressed and / or heated to melt or cure at least some of the polymer. The polymer can be removed from the substrate, for example, to produce a thermosetting resin material containing aligned fibers. The fibers can be aligned using techniques, such as shear flow and / or magnetism. Another embodiment relates to methods for using such composite materials, kits containing such composite materials, etc.

[0020] Therefore, certain embodiments relate to composite materials for use in a variety of applications. For example, for components with high mechanical property requirements, certain embodiments relate to composite materials containing short fibers (e.g., less than 5 mm in length), which may generally include carbon or other types of fibers. The fibers can be highly oriented or aligned within the composite material, thereby allowing it to approach the performance of long carbon fiber composite materials. Highly oriented fibers, when oriented with respect to the Z-axis, can be used to dramatically enhance the z-axis mechanical properties of the composite material. In some cases, a high fiber volume (>45%) with a uniform dispersion of fibers can be used within the composite material.

[0021] One embodiment relates to a system and method for producing a fiber composite material having a high fiber volume content while maintaining fiber dispersion or alignment. For example, the fibers can be relatively short and may contain carbon or other materials. In some cases, the fibers can be uniformly dispersed in a polymer resin or other slurry. Short fibers may have high electrostatic interactions that promote aggregation, and high-viscosity polymer resins may suppress consistent dispersion at higher fiber volumes. These processing defects therefore result in mismatched fiber reinforcement and gradients in the resin content of the composite material, which can dramatically reduce the performance of the composite material. Thus, one embodiment described herein can overcome these limitations. Furthermore, some embodiments relate to aligned fibers that generally maintain a high fiber volume content. Apart from the problems associated with dispersing short fibers, prior art methods address the problem of long fibers throughout, which carries the risk of problems associated with low fiber volume fraction, poor alignment, or fiber breakdown, for example.

[0022] Accordingly, some embodiments described herein relate to systems and methods for dispersing fibers by neutralizing electrostatic interactions between fibers, for example, using an aqueous slurry. In some cases, a slurry containing well-dispersed fibers can be measured on a substrate, such as a thermoplastic film. During measurement, the alignment of the fibers can be controlled, for example, by using shear flow and / or magnetic alignment. This can be done, for example, in a roll-to-roll manufacturing process.

[0023] For example, in one embodiment, an aqueous liquid containing suitable fibers can be applied to a substrate, for example, as a coating. The liquid can be selected to neutralize electrostatic interactions typically occurring between the fibers, as described above. The substrate can be, for example, a thermoplastic film or other material, for example, those described herein. The fibers can include carbon fibers and / or other fibers. The fibers are aligned, for example, by applying a magnetic field and / or shear stress, or by applying a suitable fluid to the liquid applied to the substrate. After alignment, the final composite material can be formed, for example, by applying heat (for example, by evaporation to remove the liquid) and / or pressure (for example, to embed the fibers in the substrate).

[0024] The foregoing description is a non-limiting example of one embodiment that can be used to manufacture a certain type of short fiber composite material. However, other embodiments are also possible. More generally, the various embodiments relate to various systems and methods for manufacturing short fiber films and other composite materials and materials.

[0025] For example, one embodiment generally relates to short fiber films and other composite materials. In some cases, such composite materials may include a substrate, or at least a portion thereof, of which there may be a plurality of discontinuous or short fibers incorporated. In some cases, the plurality of fibers are substantially aligned or oriented within the substrate.

[0026] Various materials can be used for the substrate. For example, in one embodiment, the substrate includes a polymer, such as a thermoplastic or thermosetting resin. In some cases, the substrate is substantially composed of a polymer. In some embodiments, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 50%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 97%, or at least 99% by volume of the substrate (without discontinuous fibers) may be polymer.

[0027] The substrate may contain one or more polymers, including the following polymers, and may also contain other polymers in addition to or instead of these polymers. Examples of suitable polymers for the substrate include polyimide (PI), polyamideimide (PAI), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketone (PEK), polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), polyethersulfone (PES), polyetherimide (PEI), polysulfone (PSU), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA), polyamide 46 (PA46), polyamide 66 (PA66), polyamide 12 (PA12), polyamide 11 (PA11), polyamide 6 (PA6), polyamide 6.6 (PA6.6), polyamide 6.6 / 6 (PA6.6 / 6), amorphous polyamide (PA6-3-T), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyphthalamide (PPA), and liquid polymers. This includes, but is not limited to, crystalline polymers (LCP), polycarbonates (PC), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyphenyl ethers (PPE), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polybenzimidazole (PBI), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), poly-paraphenylene copolymer (PPP), polyacrylonitrile, polyethyleneimine, polyetherketone (PEKEKK), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), and / or polymethylpentene (PMP).

[0028] This disclosure relates to composite materials, including composite materials generally comprising thermosetting resins, and methods and systems for forming such composite materials. One embodiment relates to a method for moving aligned fibers (e.g., carbon fibers) using, for example, a polymer, such as a thermosetting resin polymer (e.g., epoxy). In some cases, the polymer can be coated onto a substrate containing fibers and pressed and / or heated to melt or cure at least some of the polymer. The polymer can be removed from the substrate to produce, for example, a thermosetting resin material containing aligned fibers. The fibers can be aligned using techniques, such as shear flow and / or magnetism. Another embodiment relates to methods for using such composite materials, kits containing such composite materials, etc.

[0029] Some embodiments relate to techniques for producing fiber composite materials (e.g., including carbon or other fibers) having a high fiber volume content while maintaining fiber dispersion or alignment. Some embodiments relate to a process of dispersing fibers, for example, substantially uniformly, in a polymer resin. Some fibers have relatively large electrostatic interactions that can promote aggregation. Furthermore, in some cases, some polymer resins have relatively high viscosity, which can hinder consistent dispersion at higher fiber volumes. These processing defects result in mismatched fiber reinforcement and gradients in the resin content of the composite material, which can dramatically reduce the performance of the composite material. Furthermore, some embodiments relate to aligning fibers while maintaining a high fiber volume content.

[0030] For example, in some embodiments, carbon and / or other fibers are dispersed in an aqueous slurry by neutralizing the electrostatic interactions between the fibers. The slurry containing the dispersed fibers is then measured on a substrate, for example, as a coating. Fiber alignment can be controlled by using, for example, shear and / or magnetic alignment. After alignment, the fibers are injected into a thermosetting resin, such as epoxy. In some cases, this method is carried out in a roll-to-roll manufacturing method that enables the production of fiber composite materials having a relatively high fiber volume and relatively well-controlled fiber dispersion and alignment.

[0031] In some embodiments, the substrate can be coated with a slurry or other liquid containing discontinuous fibers. For example, the substrate can be a polymer, such as polyetherimide. The slurry can be based on water or other liquids. The discontinuous fibers can include carbon fibers and / or other natural or synthetic fibers, such as those described herein. The fibers can be aligned using various techniques, such as exposure to a magnetic field, a liquid (for example, for shear alignment), etc. In some cases, the fibers can be exposed to magnetic particles to promote magnetic alignment, although in other cases, magnetic particles cannot be used even for magnetic alignment applications.

[0032] After alignment, some or all of the water (and / or other liquids) can be removed from the slurry to produce, for example, a material containing aligned fibers. It will be understood that, substantially, the alignment of the fibers does not need to be perfect; that is, not all fibers need to be perfectly parallel to one another. At least some of the water and / or other liquids can be removed using various techniques, such as heating or evaporation, physical discharge, etc.

[0033] The fibers can be coated or otherwise exposed to a thermosetting resin polymer. The thermosetting resin polymer may include epoxy and / or other polymers, such as those described herein. In some cases, a film or layer of the thermosetting resin polymer can be brought into contact with the fibers, and in some cases, heat and / or pressure can be applied to improve contact. For example, in some embodiments, heat and / or pressure can be applied to melt at least some of the thermosetting resin polymer and flow, for example, between the fibers. The thermosetting resin polymer can be cured or hardened in place, for example, by cooling.

[0034] The cured thermosetting resin polymer can then be removed from the substrate to produce a thermosetting resin polymer containing, for example, at least some fibers. In some cases, the thermosetting resin polymer can partially or completely incorporate some or all of the fibers. Various techniques can be used to remove the polymer from the substrate. For example, in one embodiment, some or all of the thermosetting resin polymer can be peeled off from the substrate, for example, as a single polymer layer.

[0035] The foregoing description is a non-limiting example of one embodiment of the present disclosure that can be used to manufacture certain types of short fiber composite materials. However, other embodiments are also possible. More generally, the various embodiments relate to various systems and methods for manufacturing short fiber films and other composite materials and materials.

[0036] One embodiment relates to a composite material generally comprising a polymer material and a plurality of discontinuous fibers. The polymer material may include a thermosetting resin polymer. In some cases, some or all of the discontinuous fibers are partially or fully incorporated into the thermosetting resin polymer, or at least a portion thereof. In some cases, the plurality of fibers are substantially aligned or oriented within the material.

[0037] In one embodiment, the polymer material includes a thermosetting resin polymer. In some cases, the material is substantially polymer. In one embodiment, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 50%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 97%, or at least 99% by volume of the material (without discontinuous fibers) may be polymer, such as a thermosetting resin polymer.

[0038] In some embodiments, thermosetting resin polymers can be cured substantially irreversibly by heat and / or pressure from flexible solid or viscous liquid prepolymers or resins into cured polymers. In some cases, catalysts can be used to facilitate polymerization or crosslinking.

[0039] One example of a thermosetting resin polymer is epoxy. In some cases, epoxy resins can react (e.g., crosslink) with themselves and / or with a variety of co-reactants, including polyfunctional amines, acids (and acid anhydrides), phenols, alcohols, and thiols (commonly called mercaptans), via catalytic homopolymerization. These co-reactants are often referred to as hardeners or curatives, and the crosslinking reaction is generally referred to as curing.

[0040] Other examples of thermosetting resin polymers include, but are not limited to, polyester, polyurethane, bakelite, duroplast, urea-formamide, melamine, diallyl-phthalate, benzoxazine, polyimide, bismaleimide, cyanate ester, polycyanurate, furan resin, silicone resin, thiolate, vinyl ester, and the like. Further non-limiting examples include polyethyleneimine, polyetherketone, polyaryletherketone, polyetheretherketone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, poly(methyl methacrylate), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyacrylonitrile, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, polyvinylidene fluoride, phenol, bismaleimide, cyanate ester, polyimide, silicone rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, or preceramic monomers such as siloxane, silazane, or carbosilane. Many such thermosetting resin polymers and their precursors are commercially available.

[0041] In some examples, the thermosetting resin polymer can comprise a relatively large portion of the polymer material. For example, in one embodiment, the thermosetting resin polymer may comprise at least 1%, at least 2%, at least 3%, at least 4%, at least 5%, at least 7%, at least 10%, at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 97% of the mass of the material. In some cases, the thermosetting resin polymer may comprise 97% or less, 95% or less, 90% or less, 85% or less, 80% or less, 70% or less, 60% or less, 50% or less, 40% or less, 30% or less, 20% or less, or 10% or less of the mass of the material. Any combination of these is also possible.

[0042] In one embodiment, the material may also include further polymers, which include the following polymers, and may also include other polymers in addition to or instead of these polymers. Examples of suitable polymers for the material include polyimide (PI), polyamideimide (PAI), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketone (PEK), polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), polyethersulfone (PES), polyetherimide (PEI), polysulfone (PSU), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA), polyamide 46 (PA46), polyamide 66 (PA66), polyamide 12 (PA12), polyamide 11 (PA11), polyamide 6 (PA6), polyamide 6.6 (PA6.6), polyamide 6.6 / 6 (PA6.6 / 6), amorphous polyamide (PA6-3-T), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyphthalamide (PPA), and liquid polymers. This includes, but is not limited to, crystalline polymers (LCP), polycarbonates (PC), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyphenyl ethers (PPE), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polybenzimidazole (PBI), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), poly-paraphenylene copolymer (PPP), polyacrylonitrile, polyethyleneimine, polyetherketone (PEKEKK), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), and / or polymethylpentene (PMP).

[0043] One embodiment relates to a composite material comprising a base material generally formed from continuous fibers and a plurality of discontinuous fibers. The continuous fibers generally have a length substantially longer on average than the cross-sectional dimensions of the discontinuous fibers. For example, the continuous fibers can have an average length greater than 10, 30, 50, 100, 300, 500, or 1,000 times the cross-sectional dimensions of the discontinuous fibers. In some embodiments, the continuous fibers have an average aspect ratio (e.g., length to diameter or average cross-sectional dimension) of at least 3, at least 5, at least 10, at least 30, at least 50, at least 100, at least 300, at least 500, at least 1,000, etc. Furthermore, in some cases, the continuous fibers can have an average length of at least 5 mm, at least 1 cm, at least 3 cm, at least 5 cm, or at least 10 cm. Longer average lengths are also possible in some examples.

[0044] The continuous fibers may be woven together (e.g., bidirectional, multidirectional, pseudo-isotropic, etc.) and / or not woven together (e.g., unidirectional, bale, mat, etc.). In some embodiments, at least some of the continuous fibers are oriented substantially parallel and / or perpendicular to each other, although other arrangements of the continuous fibers are also possible. In some embodiments, the continuous fibers together can define a fabric or other base material, e.g., cloth, tau, filament, yarn, twisted yarn, etc. In some cases, the base material may have one orthogonal dimension that is substantially less than the other orthogonal dimension (i.e., the base material may have a condensation).

[0045] The continuous fibers forming the substrate can include any variety of materials, and one or more types of fibers may be present within the substrate. Non-limiting examples include carbon, basalt, silicon carbide, aramid, zirconia, nylon, boron, alumina, silica, borosilicate, mullite, cotton, or any other natural or synthetic fibers.

[0046] The continuous fibers can have any preferred average diameter. For example, the continuous fibers can have an average diameter of at least 10 micrometers, at least 20 micrometers, at least 30 micrometers, at least 50 micrometers, at least 100 micrometers, at least 200 micrometers, at least 300 micrometers, at least 500 micrometers, at least 1 mm, at least 2 mm, at least 3 mm, at least 5 mm, at least 1 cm, at least 2 cm, at least 3 cm, at least 5 cm, at least 10 cm, etc. In one embodiment, the continuous fibers can have an average diameter of 10 cm or less, 5 cm or less, 3 cm or less, 2 cm or less, 1 cm or less, 5 mm or less, 3 mm or less, 2 mm or less, 1 mm or less, 500 micrometers or less, 300 micrometers or less, 200 micrometers or less, 100 micrometers or less, 50 micrometers or less, 30 micrometers or less, 20 micrometers or less, 10 micrometers or less, etc. Any combination of these is also possible. For example, continuous fibers can have average diameters of 10 to 100 micrometers, 50 to 500 micrometers, 100 micrometers to 5 mm, etc.

[0047] The continuous fibers can also have any preferred average length. For example, the continuous fibers can have an average length of at least about 0.5 cm, at least 1 cm, at least 2 cm, at least 3 cm, at least 5 cm, at least 10 cm, etc. In one embodiment, the continuous fibers can have an average diameter of 10 cm or less, 5 cm or less, 3 cm or less, 2 cm or less, 1 cm or less, 0.5 cm or less, etc. Any combination of these is also possible; for example, the continuous fibers can have an average length of 1 cm to 10 cm, 10 cm to 100 cm, etc.

[0048] In some examples, continuous fibers may constitute a relatively large portion of the composite material. For example, in one embodiment, continuous fibers may constitute at least 1%, at least 2%, at least 3%, at least 4%, at least 5%, at least 7%, at least 10%, at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 97% of the mass or volume of the composite material. In some cases, the continuous fibers may constitute 97% or less, 95% or less, 90% or less, 85% or less, 80% or less, 70% or less, 60% or less, 50% or less, 40% or less, 30% or less, 20% or less, or 10% or less of the mass or volume of the composite material. Any combination of these is also possible.

[0049] In one embodiment, the composite material may also contain one or more discontinuous fibers. These can be present anywhere in the composite material, for example, in the substrate or at least a portion thereof, for example, in the polymer, for example, a thermosetting resin polymer. In some cases, the discontinuous fibers may be substantially aligned within the composite material, for example, forming layers within the composite material. In some cases, at least 50%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 97%, or at least 99% of the volume of the substrate may contain discontinuous fibers. As another example, at least 50%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 97%, or at least 99% of the volume of the polymer material may contain discontinuous fibers.

[0050] The discontinuous fibers can be formed of or can include any of a variety of materials, and there can be one or more types of materials. For example, the discontinuous fibers can include materials such as carbon (e.g., carbon fibers), basalt, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aramid, zirconia, nylon, boron, alumina, silica, borosilicate, mullite, nitrides, boron nitride, graphite, glass, polymers (including any of those described herein), etc. The discontinuous fibers can include any natural and / or any synthetic materials and can be magnetic and / or non-magnetic.

[0051] In some embodiments, the discontinuous fibers can be at least substantially aligned within the composite material. Methods for aligning the discontinuous fibers are described in more detail herein. Various alignments are possible and in some cases can be determined optically or microscopically, and thus in some cases the alignment can be determined qualitatively. However, it should be understood that the alignment need not be perfect. In some cases, at least 5%, at least 10%, at least 25%, at least 50%, at least 75%, at least 85%, at least 90%, or at least 95% of the fibers within the substrate or composite material can exhibit an alignment that, for example, is within 20 o within, 15 o within, 10 o within, or 5 o within of the average alignment of a plurality of fibers within a sample of the substrate or composite material. In some cases, the average alignment of the fibers can be at least 60 o , at least 65 o , at least 70 o , at least 75 o , at least 85 o , or at least 87 o oriented with respect to the plane of the substrate or composite material at that location.

[0052] While not wishing to be bound by any theory, it has been suggested that the alignment of discontinuous fibers substantially perpendicular to the substrate can help provide reinforcement to the substrate or composite material. This can improve the strength of the substrate or composite material when subjected to forces in different directions. For example, fibers within the substrate can run substantially perpendicular to the three-dimensional direction, thereby providing strength to the substrate or composite material regardless of the direction of the applied force. The fibers can also limit surface degradation, such as interlaminar microcracks, through-ply cracks, etc. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the fibers can enhance other properties of the substrate or composite material, such as the electrical and / or thermal properties within the composite material, in addition to or instead of their mechanical properties.

[0053] Others have proposed filling substrates or composite materials with fibers, but high fiber volume fractions have previously been considered unattainable due to greater electrostatic effects, which can lead to higher viscosity of the polymer resin, for example, fiber aggregation and / or consistent dispersion. Accordingly, some embodiments relate to fiber volume fractions (e.g., substantially aligned fibers, as described herein) such as at least 40% fiber volume, at least 45% fiber volume, at least 50% fiber volume, at least 55% fiber volume, at least 60% fiber volume, at least 65% fiber volume, at least 70% fiber volume, etc.

[0054] As will be described in detail below, in various embodiments, various techniques, including magnetic fields, shear flow, etc., can be used to align discontinuous fibers. As a non-limiting example, magnetic particles can be attached to the fibers, including those described herein, and magnetic fields can be used to manipulate the magnetic particles. For example, magnetic fields can be used to move magnetic particles into a substrate or composite material and / or to align discontinuous fibers within the substrate or composite material. The magnetic field can be constant or time-varying (e.g., oscillating), as described herein, for example. For example, the applied magnetic field can have a frequency of 1 Hz to 500 Hz and a magnitude of 0.01 T to 10 T. Other examples of magnetic fields are described in detail below.

[0055] In some cases, discontinuous fibers may have average or characteristic dimensions such as at least 1 nm, at least 3 nm, at least 5 nm, at least 10 nm, at least 30 nm, at least 50 nm, at least 100 nm, at least 300 nm, at least 500 nm, at least 1 micrometer, at least 3 micrometers, at least 5 micrometers, at least 10 micrometers, at least 20 micrometers, at least 30 micrometers, at least 50 micrometers, at least 100 micrometers, at least 200 micrometers, at least 300 micrometers, at least 500 micrometers, at least 1 mm, at least 2 mm, at least 3 mm, at least 5 mm, at least 10 mm, at least 15 mm, etc. In one embodiment, discontinuous fibers can have average lengths or characteristic dimensions such as 5 cm or less, 3 cm or less, 2 cm or less, 1.5 cm or less, 1 cm or less, 5 mm or less, 3 mm or less, 2 mm or less, 1 mm or less, 500 micrometers or less, 300 micrometers or less, 200 micrometers or less, 100 micrometers or less, 50 micrometers or less, 30 micrometers or less, 20 micrometers or less, 10 micrometers or less, 5 micrometers or less, 3 micrometers or less, 1 micrometer or less, 500 nm or less, 300 nm or less, 100 nm or less, 50 nm or less, 30 nm or less, 10 nm or less, 5 nm or less, etc. Any combination of these is also possible. For example, discontinuous fibers in a composite material can have an average length of 1 mm to 5 mm.

[0056] Furthermore, the discontinuous fibers can also have any preferred average diameter. For example, the discontinuous fibers can have an average diameter of at least 10 micrometers, at least 20 micrometers, at least 30 micrometers, at least 50 micrometers, at least 100 micrometers, at least 200 micrometers, at least 300 micrometers, at least 500 micrometers, at least 1 mm, at least 2 mm, at least 3 mm, at least 5 mm, at least 1 cm, at least 2 cm, at least 3 cm, at least 5 cm, at least 10 cm, etc. In one embodiment, the discontinuous fibers can have an average diameter of 10 cm or less, 5 cm or less, 3 cm or less, 2 cm or less, 1 cm or less, 5 mm or less, 3 mm or less, 2 mm or less, 1 mm or less, 500 micrometers or less, 300 micrometers or less, 200 micrometers or less, 100 micrometers or less, 50 micrometers or less, 30 micrometers or less, 20 micrometers or less, 10 micrometers or less, etc. Any combination of these is also possible. For example, discontinuous fibers can have average diameters of 10 micrometers to 100 micrometers, 50 micrometers to 500 micrometers, 100 micrometers to 5 mm, etc.

[0057] In one embodiment, discontinuous fibers may have a length that, on average, is at least 10 times or at least 50 times their thickness or diameter. In some cases, fibers in a composite material may have an average aspect ratio (ratio of fiber length to diameter or thickness) of at least 3, at least 5, at least 30, at least 50, at least 100, at least 300, at least 500, at least 1,000, at least 3,000, at least 5,000, at least 10,000, at least 30,000, at least 50,000, or at least 100,000. In some cases, the average aspect ratio may be less than 100,000, less than 50,000, less than 30,000, less than 10,000, less than 5,000, less than 3,000, less than 1,000, less than 500, less than 300, less than 100, less than 50, less than 30, less than 10, less than 5, etc. Any combination of these is also possible in some cases; for example, the aspect ratio can be between 5 and 100,000.

[0058] In some examples, discontinuous fibers can constitute a relatively large portion of the composite material. For example, in one embodiment, discontinuous fibers may constitute at least 1%, at least 2%, at least 3%, at least 4%, at least 5%, at least 7%, at least 10%, at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 97% of the mass of the composite or polymer material. In some cases, discontinuous fibers may constitute 97% or less, 95% or less, 90% or less, 85% or less, 80% or less, 70% or less, 60% or less, 50% or less, 40% or less, 30% or less, 20% or less, or 10% or less of the mass of the composite or polymer material. Any combination of these is also possible.

[0059] At least some of the discontinuous fibers may be uncoated. In some cases, however, some or all of the discontinuous fibers may be coated. The coating may be used to promote the adsorption or bonding of particles, such as magnetic particles, to the fibers, or for other reasons.

[0060] As one example, at least some of the discontinuous fibers are coated with sizings. Some examples of sizings include, but are not limited to, polypropylene, polyurethane, polyamide, phenoxy, polyimide, epoxy, etc. These sizings can be introduced into a slurry, for example, as a solution, dispersion, emulsion, etc. As another example, the fibers can be coated with surfactants, silane coupling agents, epoxy, glycerin, polyurethane, organometallic coupling agents, etc. Non-limited examples of surfactants include oleic acid, sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, etc. Non-limited examples of silane coupling agents include amino-, benzylamino-, chloropropyl-, disulfide-, epoxy-, epoxy / melamine-, mercapto-, methacrylate-, tetrasulfide-, ureido, vinyl-, isocyanate-, and vinyl-benzyl-amino-based silane coupling agents. Non-limited examples of organometallic coupling agents include aryl- and vinyl-based organometallic coupling agents.

[0061] As described above, in one set of embodiments, at least some of the discontinuous fibers may be carbon fibers. The carbon fibers may be aligned in a magnetic field directly or indirectly using, for example, magnetic particles or other techniques, e.g., those described herein. For example, some types of carbon fibers are diamagnetic and can be moved directly using an applied magnetic field. Thus, some embodiments relating to fibers or composite materials that are substantially free of paramagnetic or ferromagnetic materials may still be aligned using an external magnetic field. For example, if any paramagnetic or ferromagnetic materials are present, they may form less than 5%, less than 1%, less than 0.5%, less than 0.3%, less than 0.1%, less than 0.05%, less than 0.03%, less than 0.01%, less than 0.005%, less than 0.003%, or less than 0.001% (by mass) of the material.

[0062] Various carbon fibers, including diamagnetic carbon fibers, are commercially available. In some cases, carbon fibers can be produced from polymer precursors, such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN), rayon, pitch, etc. In some cases, carbon fibers can be spun into filament yarns, for example, using chemical or mechanical methods, to align the polymer atoms initially in order to enhance the final physical properties of the finished carbon fiber. The precursor composition and mechanical methods used during the spinning of the filament yarns can vary. After drawing or spinning, the polymer filament yarns can be heated to remove non-carbon atoms (carbonization or thermal decomposition) to produce the final carbon fiber. In some embodiments, such techniques can be used to produce carbon fibers having a relatively high carbon content, for example, at least 90%, or other content as described herein.

[0063] Non-limiting examples of carbon fibers include, for example, modifications of pitch- and / or polymer systems (e.g., ex-PAN or ex-rayon), including commercially available materials. In some cases, these may include carbon fibers with moderate / standard modulus (greater than 200 GPa), high modulus (greater than 300 GPa), or ultra-high modulus (greater than 500 GPa).

[0064] In one embodiment, the carbon fibers have a relatively high carbon content. While we do not wish to be bound by any theory, such fibers are said to exhibit diamagnetic properties that cause them to orient in low-energy magnetic fields. Generally, diamagnetism is the repulsion of a material to an applied magnetic field due to the generation of an induced magnetic field opposite to the direction of the applied magnetic field. A material is typically classified as diamagnetic if it lacks a significant paramagnetic or ferromagnetic contribution to the overall magnetic response. In many cases, the magnetic response of diamagnetic materials is very weak and negligible. However, relatively high magnetic fields can induce a significant physical response in such diamagnetic materials.

[0065] Therefore, in some cases, carbon fibers exhibiting a relatively highly oriented molecular structure can exhibit anisotropic, highly diamagnetic properties. Such diamagnetic properties allow them to be oriented with relatively weak magnetic fields, as described herein. For example, in one set of embodiments, an applied magnetic field can generate a strong induced magnetic field at the CC bonds of the carbon fibers in the opposite direction to the applied magnetic field. Certain types of carbon fibers can have a high degree of CC bonds parallel to the intrinsic direction of the fiber, which can produce an anisotropic diamagnetic response. Thus, when carbon fibers are sufficiently aligned parallel to the applied magnetic field, such carbon fibers can receive a neutral magnetic torque. Therefore, by applying a suitable magnetic field, carbon fibers can be aligned due to such diamagnetic properties. This response can be sufficient to overcome gravitational, viscous, and / or steric effects of internal particles.

[0066] For example, in one embodiment, carbon fibers can have a carbon content of greater than 80%, greater than 90%, greater than 92%, greater than 94%, greater than 95%, greater than 96%, greater than 97%, greater than 98%, greater than 99%, or greater than 99.5% by mass. Such carbon fibers can be commercially obtained in some cases. For example, carbon fibers can be produced by pyrolysis, for example, by "burning" or oxidizing (for example, by converting to a gas) other components that can be removed, while leaving carbon fibers with a relatively high carbon content. Other methods for producing carbon fibers are also possible, for example, as are described in detail herein.

[0067] Carbon fibers can also exhibit substantial alignment of CC bonds within the carbon fiber in some examples. For instance, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, or at least 95% of the carbon fiber may exhibit substantial alignment of CC bonds. Such alignment can be determined, for example, by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) or by other techniques known to those skilled in the art.

[0068] In one embodiment, carbon fibers can have a relatively high modulus (tensile modulus, a measure of stiffness). Typically, high modulus fibers are stiffer and lighter than low modulus fibers. When a force is applied parallel to the fiber, carbon fibers typically have a higher modulus; that is, carbon fibers are anisotropic. In some embodiments, carbon fibers can have moduli such as at least 100 GPa, at least 200 GPa, at least 300 GPa, at least 400 GPa, at least 500 GPa, at least 600 GPa, at least 700 GPa, etc. (for example, when a force is applied parallel to the fiber). More flexible carbon fibers can exhibit less alignment; that is, carbon fibers with a low modulus may have a subtle physical response to a magnetic field, or no response at all, rather than aligning in an applied magnetic field.

[0069] In one embodiment, carbon fibers are suspended in a liquid (e.g., water, oil, polymer resin, polymer melt, metal melt, alcohol, e.g., ethanol, or another volatile organic compound) and can exhibit an anisotropic magnetic response when a magnetic field is applied. For example, in some cases, when a suitable magnetic field is applied, i.e., when a diamagnetic response is exhibited, the carbon fibers can align. In some cases, the magnetic field can be at least 100mT, at least 200mT, at least 300mT, at least 500mT, at least 750mT, at least 1T, at least 1.5T, at least 2T, at least 3T, at least 4T, at least 5T, at least 10T, etc. In some cases, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, or at least 90% of the carbon fibers suspended in the liquid can exhibit alignment when a suitable magnetic field is applied.

[0070] Typically, carbon fibers have a shape in which one orthogonal dimension (e.g., its length) is substantially larger than the other two orthogonal dimensions (e.g., its width or thickness). In some cases, the fiber can be substantially cylindrical. As mentioned above, carbon fibers can be relatively stiff in some examples; however, carbon fibers do not need to be perfectly straight (e.g., their length can still be determined along the fiber itself, even if it is curved).

[0071] In one embodiment, the carbon fibers may have dimensions (e.g., characteristic dimensions) that are substantially the same as or smaller than the thickness of the substrate or composite material. For example, at least some of the carbon fibers in the substrate or composite material may have an average length that substantially extends to the thickness of the substrate or composite material. However, in other cases, the characteristic dimensions of the carbon fibers may be greater than the thickness.

[0072] As described above, in one set of embodiments, particles, such as magnetic particles, may be added, for example, to align discontinuous fibers or for other applications. The particles may be adsorbed or otherwise bound to at least some of the discontinuous fibers. In some cases, the particles may coat some or all of the discontinuous and / or continuous fibers. This is because coating is not necessarily required to promote particle adsorption, but this can be promoted by coating with the materials described herein.

[0073] If the particles are magnetic, they can include any variety of magnetosensible materials. For example, the magnetic material can include one or more ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, nickel, cobalt, alnico, iron oxides, nickel, cobalt, rare earth metals, or alloys containing two or more of these, and / or other suitable ferromagnetic materials. In some cases, the magnetic particles can have a relative permeability of at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, at least 20, at least 40, at least 100, at least 200, at least 500, at least 1,000, at least 2,000, at least 5,000, or at least 10,000.

[0074] However, it should be understood that not all particles are necessarily magnetic. In some cases, non-magnetic particles can be used in addition to and / or instead of magnetic particles. Non-limiting examples of non-magnetic particles include glass, polymers, metals, etc.

[0075] The particles may be spherical or non-spherical (if any) and may have any preferred shape or size. The particles may be relatively monodispersible or fall within a range of sizes. In some cases, the particles may have characteristic dimensions on average of at least 10 micrometers, at least 20 micrometers, at least 30 micrometers, at least 50 micrometers, at least 100 micrometers, at least 200 micrometers, at least 300 micrometers, at least 500 micrometers, at least 1 mm, at least 2 mm, at least 3 mm, at least 5 mm, at least 1 cm, at least 1.5 cm, at least 2 cm, at least 3 cm, at least 5 cm, at least 10 cm, etc. The particles within the composite material may also have average characteristic dimensions such as 10 cm or less, 5 cm or less, 3 cm or less, 2 cm or less, 1.5 cm or less, 1 cm or less, 5 mm or less, 3 mm or less, 2 mm or less, 1 mm or less, 500 micrometers or less, 300 micrometers or less, 200 micrometers or less, 100 micrometers or less, 50 micrometers or less, 30 micrometers or less, 20 micrometers or less, 10 micrometers or less, etc. Any combination of these is also possible. For example, the particles may exhibit characteristic dimensions such as 100 micrometers to 1 mm, 10 micrometers to 10 micrometers, etc. The characteristic dimensions of non-spherical particles can be obtained as the diameter of a perfect sphere having the same volume as the non-spherical particle.

[0076] In some embodiments, particles (including magnetic and / or non-magnetic particles) can constitute a relatively large portion of the composite material. For example, in one embodiment, the particles may constitute at least 1%, at least 2%, at least 3%, at least 4%, at least 5%, at least 7%, at least 10%, at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 97% of the volume of the composite material. In some cases, the particles constitute 97% or less, 95% or less, 90% or less, 85% or less, 80% or less, 70% or less, 60% or less, 50% or less, 45% or less, 40% or less, 35% or less, 30% or less, 25% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, 10% or less, 7% or less, 5% or less, 4% or less, 3% or less, 2% or less, or 1% or less of the volume of the composite material. Any combination of these is also possible.

[0077] As described above, a set of embodiments generally relates to composite materials, for example, including polymer materials as described herein. In some cases, the composite material is generally planar and / or may contain one or more layers or substrates. However, it should be understood that the substrate, composite material, or layers within the composite material do not have to be mathematically perfect planar structures (although they can be); for example, the substrate, composite material, or layers may also be deformable, bent, curved, folded, rolled, wrinkled, etc. For example, the substrate, composite material, or layer may have an average thickness of at least about 0.1 micrometers, at least about 0.2 micrometers, at least about 0.3 micrometers, at least about 0.5 micrometers, at least about 1 micrometer, at least about 2 micrometers, at least about 3 micrometers, at least about 5 micrometers, at least about 10 micrometers, at least about 30 micrometers, at least about 50 micrometers, at least about 100 micrometers, at least about 300 micrometers, at least about 500 micrometers, at least about 1 mm, at least about 2 mm, at least about 3 mm, at least about 5 mm, at least about 1 cm, at least about 3 cm, at least about 5 cm, at least about 10 cm, at least about 30 cm, at least about 50 cm, at least about 100 cm, etc. In some examples, the average thickness can be less than 100 cm, less than 50 cm, less than 30 cm, less than 10 cm, less than 5 cm, less than 3 cm, less than 1 cm, less than 5 mm, less than 2 mm, less than 3 mm, less than 1 mm, less than 500 micrometers, less than 300 micrometers, less than 100 micrometers, less than 50 micrometers, less than 30 micrometers, less than 10 micrometers, less than 5 micrometers, less than 3 micrometers, less than 1 micrometer, less than 0.5 micrometers, less than 0.3 micrometers, or less than 0.1 micrometers. Any combination of these is also possible in some embodiments. For example, the average thickness can be 0.1 to 5,000 microns, 10 to 2,000 microns, 50 to 1,000 microns, etc.The thickness may be uniform or non-uniform across the substrate, composite material, or layer. The substrate, composite material, or layer may be rigid (for example, as described herein) or, in some cases, deformable.

[0078] In one embodiment, a binder, which can be used to bond continuous and discontinuous fibers within a composite material, is also present within the composite or polymer material. For example, the binder can facilitate the holding of discontinuous fibers in place within the composite material. However, it should be understood that the binder is optional and not required in all cases. The binder includes, for example, a thermosetting resin, a thermoplastic resin, and / or a vitrimer. In some embodiments, the binder may include a thermoplastic solution, a thermoplastic tablet, a thermosetting resin, a volatile compound, such as a volatile organic compound, water, or oil. Further non-limiting examples of binders include polyesters, vinyl esters, polyethyleneimines, polyetherketones, polyaryletherketones, polyetheretherketones, polyphenylene sulfides, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonates, poly(methyl methacrylate), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyacrylonitrile, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, silicone rubber, polyvinylidene fluoride, styrene butadiene rubber, or preceramic monomers, such as siloxanes, silazanes, or carbosilanes. In some cases, the binder may include a covalent network polymer prepared from independent crosslinking agents containing imine crosslinked oligomers and reactive sites. Non-limiting examples of reactive sites include epoxy, isocyanates, bismaleimides, sulfides, polyurethanes, anhydrides, and / or polyesters. Examples of vitrimers include, but are not limited to, epoxy resins based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, aromatic polyesters, polylactic acid (polyactide), polyhydroxyurethanes, soybean oil epoxidized with citric acid, polybutadiene, etc. In some embodiments, the binder may also include a mixture comprising any one or more of these materials and / or other materials.

[0079] In some embodiments, the binder may include at least 1%, at least 2%, at least 3%, at least 4%, at least 5%, at least 7%, at least 10%, at least 15%, at least 20%, or at least 25% of the mass of the composite material, and / or 25% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, 10% or less, 7% or less, 5% or less, 4% or less, 3% or less, 2% or less, or 1% or less of the mass of the composite material.

[0080] Composite materials, such as those described herein, can be used in a wide range of applications. In non-limiting examples, composite materials can be used in diverse applications, such as components for pressure vessels and wind turbines, shims used in lifting heavy structures, sporting goods, construction or building materials, laminate or capsule materials for electronic devices, battery components, or reinforcements for panels in vehicles, such as automobiles, aircraft, marine vessels, or spacecraft. In some cases, composite materials can be useful as components for energy storage applications, or as components for carbon fiber or ceramic matrices, for eliminating or reducing stress concentration or delamination within the material, for stiffening the material, eliminating or reducing surface wear, for dissipating electrical shock, for transmitting electrical signals, for mitigating or transmitting electromagnetic waves, for dissipating thermal shock, and for eliminating or reducing thermal gradients.

[0081] Another aspect relates to systems and methods for producing composite materials in general, such as those disclosed herein. In one set of embodiments, the composite material can be prepared from a liquid. The liquid can be, for example, a slurry, a solution, an emulsion, etc. The liquid can contain discontinuous fibers as described herein and can be applied to a substrate. The fibers can be aligned as described herein, and the liquid can be removed to produce, for example, a fiber-containing substrate. After alignment, the final composite material can be formed by applying, for example, heat (e.g., to remove the liquid) and / or pressure (e.g., to incorporate the fibers into the substrate), for example, by removing the liquid and / or curing a thermosetting resin material. In some cases, the composite material can be set or cured with a binder, which can be used, for example, to immobilize or fix the discontinuous agent within the substrate or composite material, or within a polymer material. Furthermore, in some cases, the composite material can be removed from the substrate, for example, as described herein. The composite material can be relatively rigid or flexible in various embodiments. In various embodiments, for example, in a single-set embodiment, the composite material can be wound onto a continuous roll. In some cases, a liquid, such as a slurry, can be used. The slurry, which may contain discontinuous fibers and, if required, magnetic particles or other components, can be applied to a substrate, for example.

[0082] In one embodiment, the liquid, for example, an aqueous liquid, can be used to neutralize the electrostatic interactions between discontinuous fibers. This can be useful, for example, for dispersing discontinuous fibers in the liquid at a relatively high fiber volume without agglomeration. In some cases, surfactants and / or alcohols can be introduced into the slurry to reduce the electrostatic interactions between fibers. High shear mixing and flow can also help reduce agglomeration / flocculation in some cases.

[0083] In some embodiments, the liquid phase may include, for example, a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin, such as a thermoplastic resin solution, a thermoplastic resin melt, a thermosetting resin, a volatile organic compound, water, or oil. Non-limiting examples of thermosetting resins include polyethyleneimine, polyetherketone ketone, polyaryletherketone, polyetheretherketone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, poly(methyl methacrylate), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyacrylonitrile, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, polyvinylidene fluoride, phenols, epoxys, bismaleimide, cyanate esters, polyimide, etc. Non-limiting examples of elastomers include silicone rubber and styrene butadiene rubber, etc. Non-limiting examples of thermoplastic resins include epoxy, polyester, vinyl ester, polycarbonate, polyamide (e.g., nylon, PA-6, PA-12, etc.), polyphenylene sulfide, polyetherimide, polyetheretherketone, polyetherketoneketone, etc. Non-limiting examples of ceramic monomers include siloxane, silazane, or carbosilane, etc. In some cases, for example, one or more of these may be added to help uniformly disperse discontinuous fibers in a liquid. Examples of volatile organic compounds include, but are not limited to, isopropanol, butanol, ethanol, acetone, toluene, or xylene.

[0084] Any suitable amount of discontinuous fibers can be present in the slurry or other liquid. For example, at least 10%, at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, or at least 80% of the volume of the slurry can be discontinuous fibers. In some cases, 85% or less, 80% or less, 75% or less, 70% or less, 65% or less, 60% or less, 55% or less, 50% or less, 45% or less, 40% or less, 35% or less, 30% or less, 25% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, or 10% or less can be discontinuous fibers. Any combination of these is also possible in some cases. For example, the slurry or other liquid may contain discontinuous fibers at concentrations of 70%-80%, 75%-85%, 50%-90%, etc.

[0085] For example, after preparing a slurry or other liquid, it can be applied to or exposed to a substrate. Any suitable method can be used to apply the slurry or other liquid to the substrate. In non-limiting examples, the liquid can be poured onto, coated, sprayed, or painted onto the substrate, or the substrate can be partially or completely immersed in the liquid. The liquid can be used to wet, coat, and / or surround the substrate.

[0086] According to one set of embodiments, a magnetic field can be applied to manipulate discontinuous fibers directly or indirectly, as described herein. Any suitable magnetic field can be applied. In some cases, the magnetic field is a steady magnetic field. In other cases, the magnetic field can be time-varying; for example, the magnetic field can oscillate or change periodically in magnitude and / or direction to facilitate the manipulation of the discontinuant agent. The oscillation can be a sinusoidal or other repeating waveform (e.g., a square wave or a sawtooth wave). The frequency can be, for example, at least 0.1 Hz, at least 0.3 Hz, at least 0.5 Hz, at least 1 Hz, at least 3 Hz, at least 5 Hz, at least 10 Hz, at least 30 Hz, at least 50 Hz, at least 100 Hz, at least 300 Hz, at least 500 Hz, etc. and / or 1000 Hz or less, 500 Hz or less, 300 Hz or less, 100 Hz or less, 50 Hz or less, 30 Hz or less, 10 Hz or less, 5 Hz or less, 3 Hz or less, etc. For example, the frequency can be 1Hz to 500Hz, 10Hz to 30Hz, 50Hz to Hz, etc. Furthermore, the frequency can be kept substantially constant, or it can be varied in some cases.

[0087] The magnetic field, whether constant or oscillating, can have any suitable magnitude. For example, the magnitude can be at least 0.001T, at least 0.003T, at least 0.005T, at least 0.01T, at least 0.03T, at least 0.05T, at least 0.1T, at least 0.3T, at least 0.5T, at least 1T, at least 3T, at least 5T, at least 10T, etc. In some cases, the magnitude can be 20T or less, 10T or less, 5T or less, 3T or less, 1T or less, 0.5T or less, 0.3T or less, 0.1T or less, 0.05T or less, 0.03T or less, 0.01T or less, 0.005T or less, 0.003T or less, etc. The magnitude can also be within any combination of these values. For example, the magnitude can be 0.01T to 10T, 1T to 3T, 0.5T to 1T, etc. The magnitude can be substantially constant, or, in a certain embodiment, can vary within any range of these values.

[0088] In some embodiments, the magnetic field direction (i.e., the direction of maximum magnitude) is approximately + / - 90 degrees in the average direction. o + / -85 o + / -80 o + / -75 o + / -70 o + / -65 o + / -60 o + / -55 o + / -50 o + / -45 o + / -40 o + / -35 o + / -30 o + / -25 o + / -20 o + / -15 o + / -10 o + / -5 o It can be changed.

[0089] Various different devices for generating suitable magnetic fields are commercially available, including permanent magnets or electromagnets. In some cases, oscillating magnetic fields can be created by mounting magnets on a rotating disk and rotating the disk at an appropriate speed and frequency. Non-limiting examples of permanent magnets include iron magnets, alnico magnets, rare earth magnets, etc.

[0090] In one embodiment, shear flow can be used to align or manipulate discontinuous fibers. For example, a shear fluid can be applied to a substrate to align at least some of a plurality of discontinuous materials, for example, in the direction of shear flow. Examples of shear fluids that can be used include water or other liquids, such as oil, alcohol, such as ethanol, organic solvents (such as isopropanol, butanol, ethanol, acetone, toluene, or xylene), etc. In one embodiment, the shear fluid may have a viscosity of at least 1 cP. Furthermore, in some cases, the shear fluid may be a gas, such as air. The linear flow rate of the shear fluid may be, for example, at least 10 mm / min, at least 20 mm / min, at least 30 mm / min, at least 50 mm / min, at least 100 mm / min, at least 200 mm / min, at least 300 mm / min, etc.

[0091] For example, in one embodiment, fibers can be added to a liquid containing alcohol, a solvent, or a resin to form a slurry. In some cases, for example, the slurry can be used as a shear fluid, and the slurry can be flowed to align the fibers. In other cases, however, the slurry is first applied to a substrate and the shear fluid is used to align the fibers.

[0092] Furthermore, in some embodiments, mechanical vibration can be used to manipulate discontinuous fibers in addition to and / or without magnetic manipulation and / or shear flow. For example, mechanical vibration can be used to move discontinuous fibers into or on a substrate, for example, into pores or holes in the substrate, and / or to at least substantially align the discontinuants within the substrate, as described herein. In one set of embodiments, mechanical vibration can be applied to cause movement of discontinuous fibers of at least 1 micrometer, at least 2 micrometers, at least 3 micrometers, at least 5 micrometers, at least 10 micrometers, at least 20 micrometers, at least 30 micrometers, at least 50 micrometers, at least 100 micrometers, at least 200 micrometers, at least 300 micrometers, at least 500 micrometers, at least 1,000 micrometers, at least 2,000 micrometers, at least 3,000 micrometers, at least 5,000 micrometers, or at least 10,000 micrometers.

[0093] Furthermore, in some cases, the mechanical vibration can be time-varying; for example, the mechanical vibration can be periodically varied in magnitude and / or direction to facilitate the operation of discontinuous fibers. The vibration can be sinusoidal or another repeating waveform (e.g., square wave or sawtooth wave). The frequency can be, for example, at least 0.1 Hz, at least 0.3 Hz, at least 0.5 Hz, at least 1 Hz, at least 3 Hz, at least 5 Hz, at least 10 Hz, at least 30 Hz, at least 50 Hz, at least 100 Hz, at least 300 Hz, at least 500 Hz, etc. and / or 1000 Hz or less, 500 Hz or less, 300 Hz or less, 100 Hz or less, 50 Hz or less, 30 Hz or less, 10 Hz or less, 5 Hz or less, 3 Hz or less, etc. For example, the frequency can be 1 Hz to 500 Hz, 10 Hz to 30 Hz, 50 Hz or less, etc. Furthermore, the frequency can be kept substantially constant, or the frequency can be varied in some cases. When applied in conjunction with an oscillating magnetic field, their frequencies can be the same or different independently.

[0094] During and / or after alignment, discontinuous fibers within the substrate can be set or fixed in some embodiments, for example, to suppress or limit the subsequent movement of the discontinuous fibers and to form a relatively rigid composite material. Non-limiting examples of techniques for forming composite materials include, but are not limited to, solidifying, curing, gelling, melting, heating, evaporating, freezing, freeze-drying, or pressing a liquid or slurry. In another set of embodiments, a material, such as a thermosetting polymer, can be cured to form a composite material. The substrate can therefore form a composite material that is solid, gel, etc.

[0095] In some cases, the liquid may contain a relatively volatile solvent that can be removed by heating and / or evaporation (for example, by waiting for a suitable amount of time in a fume hood or other ventilated area, or by evaporating the solvent). Non-limiting examples of volatile solvents include isopropanol, butanol, ethanol, acetone, toluene, or xylene. Other examples of methods for removing the solvent include the application of vacuum, freeze-drying, mechanical shaking, etc.

[0096] In one embodiment, heat can be applied to the substrate to, for example, dry a liquid or remove part of the solvent, or to cure and / or harden a polymer precursor. For example, the substrate is at least about 30 o C, at least about 35 o C, at least about 40 o C, at least about 45 o C, at least about 50 o C, at least about 55 o C, at least about 60 o C, at least about 65 o C, at least about 70 o C, at least about 75 o C, at least about 80 o C, at least about 90 o C, at least about 100 o C, at least about 125 o C, at least about 150 o C, at least about 175 o C, at least about 200 o C, at least about 250 o C, at least about 300 o C, at least about 350 o C, at least about 400 o C, at least about 450 o C, at least about 500 oIt can be heated to temperatures such as C, etc. Any suitable method of applying heat, such as a thermionic transducer, ohmic heater, Peltier device, combustion heater, etc., can be used. In some cases, the viscosity of the liquid can be reduced as a result of heating. Heat can be applied, for example, before the application of a magnetic field and / or mechanical vibration, simultaneously with the application, or after the application. In some cases, heat can be used to prevent or initiate the crosslinking or curing of a thermosetting prepolymer.

[0097] In one embodiment, pressure can be applied to a substrate to, for example, partially or completely incorporate discontinuous fibers into the substrate, to form a composite material, remove liquid, and / or harden and / or cure a polymer precursor to form a polymer material, such as a thermosetting resin material. In some cases, pressure can also be used to remove some of the liquid from the substrate. Examples include, but are not limited to, hot pressing, calendering, vacuum injection, etc. The pressure can be, for example, at least 15 psi (measurement basis), at least 30 psi, at least 45 psi, etc. (1 psi = 6895 Pa).

[0098] Furthermore, in one embodiment, a polymer precursor, such as a thermosetting resin polymer (e.g., epoxy), is applied to or coated on at least a portion of the substrate. For example, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, or substantially all of the surface of the substrate may be coated with the precursor. In some cases, the precursor incorporates at least some substantially aligned discontinuous fibers into the substrate, as described herein. For example, by adding sufficient precursor, at least 10%, at least 20%, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, or substantially all of the discontinuous fibers may be substantially incorporated.

[0099] The precursor may be any precursor described herein. For example, in one set of embodiments, the precursor is an epoxy precursor. The substrate can be coated or exposed to the precursor using any preferred technique. For example, the precursor can be poured onto the substrate, coated, sprayed, or painted, or the substrate can be partially or completely immersed in the precursor. The precursor can be used to wet, coat, and / or surround the substrate. Other examples include, but are not limited to, hot pressing, calendering, or vacuum injection.

[0100] As described herein, precursors can be cured and / or hardened, for example, to form a polymer, by applying one or more suitable conditions, such as heat, pressure, a catalyst, etc. Those skilled in the art will know the suitable conditions for curing and / or hardening a precursor, such as a thermosetting resin polymer, to form a polymer. Heating and / or pressure may include any of the conditions described herein. For example, in some cases, the precursor can be cured simultaneously, for example, with the evaporation of a solvent. In some embodiments, the precursor can be cured by applying heat, for example, by exposing the composite material to a temperature, for example. In some embodiments, the precursor can be cured upon exposure to light or a catalyst, for example, to facilitate or promote a chemical or polymerization reaction to polymerize a binder. For example, a thermosetting polymer can be cured upon exposure to a suitable temperature. In another example, the polymer can undergo polymerization by exposure to ultraviolet light.

[0101] In some embodiments, the precursor can form a polymer containing at least 1%, at least 2%, at least 3%, at least 4%, at least 5%, at least 7%, at least 10%, at least 15%, at least 20%, or at least 25% of the mass of the composite material, and / or 25% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, 10% or less, 7% or less, 5% or less, 4% or less, 3% or less, 2% or less, or 1% or less of the mass of the composite material.

[0102] In some cases, after the precursor has hardened or cured to form a polymer material, the polymer material can be removed from the substrate if necessary. For example, if the precursor is injected into, or otherwise incorporated into or surrounded by, at least some of the discontinuous fibers on the substrate, the polymer material may also contain at least some of the discontinuous fibers originating from the substrate. For example, the polymer material may incorporate substantially aligned discontinuous fibers.

[0103] Various different techniques can be used, for example, to remove at least some of the polymer from a substrate as a polymer material. For example, in one embodiment, some or all of the thermosetting resin polymer of the substrate can be peeled off, for example, as a single polymer layer. The polymer material can be removed manually or automatically, for example, using a roll-to-roll system where the material of the substrate is peeled onto a roll.

[0104] In one embodiment, the binder can be applied, for example, before, during, and / or after curing the composite material and / or removing at least a portion of the liquid. In some embodiments, the binder can be used to produce pre-impregnated composite ply material by, for example, moistening a dry ply material. In some cases, the binder can be liquid and can be cured after application to the composite material. In some cases, the binder is impregnated into at least a portion of the composite material. Non-limiting examples of impregnation methods include using gravity and capillary force, such as by applying pressure to the binder to press it into the composite material. Other examples include, but are not limited to, hot pressing, calendering, or vacuum injection. However, in some cases, the binder is used, for example, to coat all or only a portion of the substrate without necessarily requiring impregnation.

[0105] In some cases, the binder may include a resin. The binder may include a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin. In some embodiments, the binder may include a thermoplastic resin solution, a thermoplastic resin melt, a thermoplastic resin tablet, a thermoplastic resin powder, a thermoplastic resin film, a thermosetting resin, a volatile compound, such as a volatile organic compound, water, or oil. Further non-limiting examples of binders include epoxy, polyester, vinyl ester, polyethyleneimine, polyether ketone, polyaryl ether ketone, polyether ether ketone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, poly(methyl methacrylate), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyacrylonitrile, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, silicone rubber, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxyalkane, styrene butadiene rubber, or preceramic monomers, such as siloxane, silazane, or carbosilane. In some embodiments, the binder may also include a mixture containing any one or more of these materials and / or other materials.

[0106] In some embodiments, the binder may include at least 1%, at least 2%, at least 3%, at least 4%, at least 5%, at least 7%, at least 10%, at least 15%, at least 20%, or at least 25% of the mass of the composite material, and / or 25% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, 10% or less, 7% or less, 5% or less, 4% or less, 3% or less, 2% or less, or 1% or less of the mass of the composite material.

[0107] After penetration, the binder can be cured. In some cases, the binder can be cured simultaneously, for example, during the evaporation of the solvent. In one embodiment, the binder can be cured by applying heat, for example, by exposing the composite material to a temperature, for example, the said temperature. In some embodiments, the binder can be cured upon exposure to light or a catalyst to facilitate or accelerate a chemical or polymerization reaction to polymerize the binder. For example, a thermosetting polymer can be cured when exposed to a suitable temperature. In another example, the polymer can be polymerized by exposure to ultraviolet light.

[0108] In some cases, composite materials may include additional layers or materials, for example, in addition to these. For example, the substrate can be one of many layers in the composite material. Other layers in the composite material may include polymers, composite materials, metals, ceramics, etc. For example, a composite material can be reinforced with another composite material layer to form a composite material structure.

[0109] Composite materials, such as those described herein, can be used in various applications and in various embodiments. Composite materials, such as those described herein, can exhibit various different characteristics in various embodiments. For example, composite materials, such as those described herein, can be useful for reducing or eliminating stress concentration, reducing or eliminating delamination, increasing plane strength and / or hardness, reducing or eliminating surface wear, dissipating electricity (e.g., in electrical shock), transmitting electrical signals, mitigating electromagnetic waves, transmitting electromagnetic waves, dissipating heat (e.g., in thermal shock), reducing or eliminating thermal gradients, energy storage, synthesizing ex-PAN carbon fibers, synthesizing ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), etc.

[0110] For example, in one embodiment, a composite material ply having at least three axial fiber directions can be manufactured. This fiber structure can distribute stress between subsequent plies and adjacent components within the composite material ply, thereby reducing or eliminating stress concentration. This can significantly improve the strength of the laminated composite material structure under mechanical load, for example, when the laminated composite material structure is formed with materials having dramatically different stiffnesses (e.g., metal alloys or plastics) in small features or pairings.

[0111] Another set of embodiments relates to composite material plies that generally have through-plane reinforcement in the interlayer region. This fiber reinforcement efficiently distributes stress between adjacent layers of the composite material ply, preventing crack formation and preventing cracks from propagating in the interlayer region. The targeted reinforcement of the interlayer region can significantly improve the strength of laminated composite material structures under impact and cyclic loading. This formulation can be useful when the laminated composite material structure is formed from long sheets of composite material plies, for example, where a single crack in the interlayer region between plies could potentially compromise the structural integrity of the entire structure.

[0112] Another set of embodiments generally relates to composite material plies having through-plane reinforcement, such as through-plane unidirectional fabrics. This fiber reinforcement can enhance the desired through-plane loads (e.g., point loads and high-pressure loads). The desired through-plane reinforcement can significantly improve the strength and rigidity of the laminated composite structure under the expected through-plane mechanical loads. This can be useful for efficiently handling composite material plies with through-plane reinforcement that can be easily deformed while handling them in an uncured state while forming the outer shell for the laminated composite structure.

[0113] Another set of embodiments relates to composite material plies having through-plane oriented carbon fibers. In some cases, through-plane reinforcement can significantly improve the resistance of the polymer matrix to damage from mechanical wear (e.g., abrasion) and / or chemical corrosion (e.g., oxidation). This formulation is useful, for example, to form a surface that protects the structure from mechanical and chemical wear.

[0114] In one set of embodiments, a composite material ply having increased through-plane electrical conductivity is provided. This can significantly improve resistance to damage caused by localized heat generation induced by charge accumulation during rapid electrical energy discharge (e.g., lightning). This formulation is particularly useful for forming surfaces that protect structures from damage originating from electrical discharge. In another set of embodiments, a composite material ply having increased near-isotropic electrical conductivity is provided. This allows for efficient transmission of electrical signals. In yet another set of embodiments, a composite material ply having increased isotropic electrical conductivity is provided. This material can effectively reduce incident electromagnetic waves. In yet another set of embodiments, a composite material ply having low radio frequency interference and increased through-plane thermal conductivity is provided to efficiently transmit electromagnetic waves without overheating.

[0115] Another set of embodiments relates to composite materials having increased through-plane thermal conductivity for sufficient structural integrity under heating. This can be useful in some embodiments for increasing structural integrity under rapid temperature fluctuations. Yet another set of embodiments relates to composite material plies having through-plane thermal conductivity and low electrical conductivity. This formulation is useful, for example, in electronic devices for efficiently moving and dispersing heat flux.

[0116] Another set of embodiments relates to carbon-based composite material plies that generally have through-plane electrical conductivity. This can be useful for adsorbing ionic species from electrolytes and efficiently dispersing charges.

[0117] One set of embodiments generally relates to composite material plies having a through-plane carbon fiber catalyst. At a suitable temperature, the PAN (polyacrylonitrile) matrix can be oxidized or carbonized to form a carbon matrix. Another set of embodiments generally relates to composite material plies having a through-plane carbon fiber or silicon carbide catalyst. At a suitable temperature, the polymer matrix can be oxidized to form a ceramic matrix.

[0118] The following documents are incorporated herein by reference: International Patent Application PCT / US2018 / 021975, filed on 12 March 2018, entitled “Fiber-reinforced composite materials, methods therefor and articles including the same,” published as International Patent Application Publication WO2018 / 175134; U.S. Patent Application 62 / 777,438, filed on 10 December 2018, entitled “System and method for carbon fiber alignment and fiber-reinforced composite materials”; International Patent Application No. PCT / US2019 / 065142, filed on 9 December 2019, titled “System and Method for Composite Materials”; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 872,686, filed on 10 June 2019, titled “System and Method for Short Fiber Films and Other Composite Materials”; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 938,265, filed on 20 November 2019, titled “Method and System for Forming Composite Materials Including Thermosetting Resins.” Furthermore, a U.S. Patent Application filed on the same day, titled “Composition and Method for Carbon Fiber-Metal and Other Composite Materials,” is incorporated herein by direct reference.

[0119] The following embodiments are intended to illustrate certain embodiments of the present disclosure, but are not intended to describe the entire scope of the present disclosure. [Examples]

[0120] This embodiment describes forming an aqueous slurry by dispersing pulverized carbon fibers (high modulus of elasticity, 95% carbon content, 150 micrometers in length) in water. This slurry was cast onto a PEI substrate (76 micrometers thick), and a perpendicular magnetic field (magnetic field strength of 0.2 T, perpendicular to the PEI substrate) was applied. Upon deposition, the pulverized carbon fibers were oriented by the perpendicular magnetic field orientation. After the fibers were deposited and aligned perpendicular to the PEI substrate, the water was evaporated. Once the water was removed, the PEI substrate with the perpendicularly oriented pulverized fibers was densely packed at 1 MPa, and 330 oThe material was heated to C. At this temperature and pressure, the PEI molten material and the ground fibers were incorporated into the PEI molten material. The material was cooled to room temperature and the pressure was released. As shown in Figure 1, at the end of this method, the ground fibers retain their orientation and are incorporated into the PEI substrate. [Examples]

[0121] The short-fiber composite material layer produced in Example 1 was layered between two commercially available carbon fiber laminates made of continuous fibers and PEI in this example. This laminate was compressed at 0.5 MPa and heated to 280°C. The PEI became flexible, and the vertically oriented, crushed fibers of the short-fiber film were filtered together with the continuous fibers of the commercially available carbon fiber laminate. As shown in Figure 2, this material was cooled to room temperature and the pressure was released. [Examples]

[0122] This embodiment illustrates a method for producing a thermosetting resin ZRT (z-axis reinforced tape) according to one embodiment.

[0123] In the first step, the substrate is coated with a slurry. Other substrates can be used, but in this embodiment, the substrate is Ultem film. The slurry contained pulverized fibers dispersed in water along with trace amounts of polymer additives.

[0124] The crushed fibers were then aligned by passing them through a coated substrate via a 0.3T vertical magnetic field.

[0125] Next, some water was drained from the substrate side, but the water was removed from the slurry through evaporation. The substrate was heated to 180°C to ensure the removal of moisture. Furthermore, the high heat also "tacks up" a trace amount of polymer binder that holds the Z-axis ground fibers in place.

[0126] Next, transfer to an epoxy film was achieved by pressing a hot-melt epoxy film onto a substrate coated with dried, pulverized fibers. The hot-melt epoxy film was heated to 60°C to allow the epoxy to flow. After the epoxy flowed onto the substrate, the film was cooled and peeled off to produce a ZRT with a thermosetting resin matrix. SEM images of the film are shown in Figure 3.

[0127] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described and explained herein, those skilled in the art will readily imagine various other means and / or configurations to perform its function and / or to obtain the results and / or one or more benefits described herein. Each of such variations and / or modifications will be considered to fall within the scope of the present invention. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily understand that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are illustrative, and that actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and / or configurations will depend on the specific application or the application in which the teachings of the present invention are used. Those skilled in the art will be able to recognize, or verify, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein using routine experiments. Thus, it will be understood that the embodiments are shown only through examples, and that the present invention can be performed in ways other than those specifically described in the specification and claimed, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents. The present invention relates to each of the individual features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods described herein. Furthermore, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods is included in the scope of the present invention, provided that such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods are not contradictory to each other.

[0128] In the event that this Specified and any documents incorporated by reference contain conflicting and / or inconsistent disclosures, this Specified shall prevail. In the event that two or more documents incorporated by reference contain conflicting and / or inconsistent disclosures, the document with the later valid data shall prevail.

[0129] All definitions, when defined and used herein, should be understood to govern the dictionary definitions, the definitions in documents incorporated herein by reference, and / or the ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

[0130] The indefinite articles 'a' and 'an', when used herein and in the claims, should be understood to mean 'at least one' unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0131] When used herein and in claims, the expression “and / or” should be understood to mean “either or both” of highly related elements, i.e., elements that exist jointly in some cases and disjunctively in others. Similarly, any multiple elements listed with “and / or” should be understood to mean “one or more” of highly related elements. Other elements other than those specifically identified by the “and / or” clause may exist, if required, whether related to or unrelated to the specifically identified elements. Therefore, as a non-restrictive example, when used in conjunction with non-restrictive wording, such as “comprising,” it may mean, in one embodiment, only A (including elements other than B, if required); in another embodiment, only B (including elements other than A, if required); and in yet another embodiment, both A and B (including other elements, if required).

[0132] As used herein and in claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and / or.” For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and / or” should be understood to be inclusive, that is, inclusion of at least one but more of the elements of the number or list, if applicable, of any further unlisted items. Only terms that are clearly indicated in the opposite sense, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, as used in claims, “consisting of,” refer to inclusion of exactly one of the elements of the number or list. Generally, the term "or" as used herein shall be understood only to indicate an exclusive choice (i.e., "one or the other but not both") when preceded by an exclusive term, such as "either," "one of," "only one of," or "exactly one of."

[0133] When used herein and in these claims, the expression “at least one,” referring to one or more elements of a list, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and all elements specifically listed in the list of elements, nor excluding any combination of elements in the list of elements. This definition also makes it possible, if necessary, that elements may exist in addition to the elements specifically identified in the list of elements referred to by the expression “at least one,” whether related or unrelated to the elements specifically identified. Therefore, as a non-restrictive example, “at least one of A and B” (or equivalently, “at least one of A or B” or equivalently, “at least one of A and / or B”) can refer in one embodiment to A, comprising at least one, if required, more than one, in which B is absent (and if required, elements other than B); in another embodiment to refer to B, comprising at least one, if required, more than one, in which A is absent (and if required, elements other than A); in yet another embodiment to refer to A, comprising at least one, if required, more than one, and B, comprising at least one, if required, more than one (and if required, other elements); and so on.

[0134] When the term “about” is used herein in reference to a number, it should be understood that yet another embodiment of the invention includes that number as not altered by the presence of the term “about.”

[0135] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, in any method claimed herein that includes more than one step or action, the order of the steps or actions of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or actions of the method are described.

[0136] In the claims and in the above specification, all transitional clauses, such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” and “composed of,” should be understood to be non-restrictive, meaning they include but are not limited to them. Only the transitional clauses “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” are closed or semi-closed transitional clauses, respectively, as defined in Section 2111.03 of the United States Patent and Trademark Examination Manual.

[0137] The present invention provides the following embodiments. [1] An article comprising a composite material comprising a base material and a plurality of discontinuous fibers contained in at least a portion thereof, wherein the plurality of discontinuous fibers are substantially aligned in a fiber volume fraction of at least 30 vol% throughout the composite material.

[0138] [2] The article of [1], wherein the fiber volume fraction is at least 40 vol%.

[0139] [3] The article according to either [1] or [2], wherein the fiber volume fraction is at least 50 vol%.

[0140] [4] The article according to any one of [1]-[3], wherein the fiber volume fraction is at least 60 vol%.

[0141] [5] The article according to any one of [1]-[4], wherein the fiber volume fraction is at least 70 vol%.

[0142] [6] The article according to any one of [1]-[5], comprising a thermoplastic resin as the base material.

[0143] [7] The article according to any one of [1]-[6], wherein the base material is substantially made of a thermoplastic resin.

[0144] [8] The substrates are polyimide (PI), polyamideimide (PAI), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketone (PEK), polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), polyethersulfone (PES), polyetherimide (PEI), polysulfone (PSU), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA), polyamide 46 (PA46), polyamide 66 (PA66), polyamide 12 (PA12), polyamide 11 (PA11), polyamide 6 (PA6), polyamide 6.6 (PA6.6), polyamide 6.6 / 6 (PA6.6 / 6), amorphous polyamide (PA6-3-T), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyphthalamide (PPA), liquid crystalline polymer (LCP), poly An article according to any one of [1]-[7], comprising one or more of the following: carbonate (PC), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyphenyl ether (PPE), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polybenzimidazole (PBI), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), poly-paraphenylene copolymer (PPP), polyacrylonitrile, polyethyleneimine, polyetherketone etherketone ketone (PEKEKK), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), and / or polymethylpentene (PMP).

[0145] [9] The article according to any one of [1]-[8], wherein the base material comprises a plurality of continuous fibers.

[0146]

[10] The article according to any one of [1]-[9], wherein the discontinuous fibers include carbon fibers.

[0147]

[11] The article of

[10] , wherein the carbon fiber has a carbon content greater than 94% and an elastic modulus of at least 200 GPa.

[0148]

[12] The article according to any one of [1]-

[11] , wherein the discontinuous fibers include a polymer.

[0149]

[13] The article according to any one of [1]-

[12] , wherein the discontinuous fibers include one or more of basalt, silicon carbide, aramid, zirconia, nylon, boron, alumina, silica, borosilicate, and / or mullite.

[0150]

[14] The article according to any one of [1]-

[13] , wherein the discontinuous fibers include natural fibers.

[0151]

[15] The article according to any one of [1]-

[14] , wherein the discontinuous fibers have an average length of at least 20 micrometers.

[0152]

[16] The article according to any one of [1]-

[15] , wherein the discontinuous fibers are at least 5, and the average aspect ratio of length to diameter.

[0153]

[17] The article according to any one of [1]-

[16] , wherein the discontinuous fibers are covered with a coating.

[0154]

[18] The coating comprises a surfactant, a silane coupling agent, epoxy, glycerin, polyurethane, and / or an organometallic coupling agent, the article of

[17] .

[0155]

[19] The article according to either

[17] or

[18] , wherein the discontinuous fibers are covered with sizing.

[0156]

[20] The article according to any one of [1]-

[19] , wherein the discontinuous fibers have an anisotropic diamagnetic response in response to a magnetic field.

[0157]

[21] The article according to any one of [1]-

[20] , wherein the discontinuous fibers exhibit a physical response to a magnetic field strength of 10T.

[0158]

[22] The article according to any one of [1]-

[21] , wherein at least 50% of the multiple discontinuous fibers are aligned.

[0159]

[23] The article according to any one of [1]-

[22] , having at least some of a plurality of discontinuous fibers thereon of a plurality of magnetic particles adsorbed thereon.

[0160]

[24] The article according to any one of [1]-

[23] , wherein multiple discontinuous fibers are free of magnetic particles.

[0161]

[25] The article according to any one of [1]-

[24] , wherein the composite material is substantially free of paramagnetic or ferromagnetic material.

[0162]

[26] The article according to any one of [1]-

[25] , wherein the composite material comprises at least 20% by volume of the plurality of fibers.

[0163]

[27] The article according to any one of [1]-

[26] , wherein the composite material has a maximum cross-sectional thickness of less than 10 cm.

[0164]

[28] The article according to any one of [1]-

[27] , wherein the composite material has a maximum cross-sectional thickness of less than 1 cm.

[0165]

[29] The article according to any one of [1]-

[28] , wherein the composite material is wound on a roll.

[0166]

[30] The article according to any one of [1]-

[29] , wherein the substrate is one of a plurality of layers in the composite material.

[0167]

[31] The article according to any one of [1]-

[30] , wherein the layer of the substrate comprises a polymer.

[0168]

[32] The article according to any one of [1]-

[31] , wherein the layer of the base material comprises a composite material.

[0169]

[33] The article according to any one of [1]-

[32] , wherein the layer of the base material contains metal.

[0170]

[34] The article according to any one of [1]-

[33] , wherein the layer of the substrate contains ceramic.

[0171]

[35] The article according to any one of [1]-

[35] , further comprising a binder to which the composite material binds the substrate and a plurality of discontinuous fibers.

[0172]

[36] A process of applying a liquid containing multiple discontinuous fibers to a substrate and aligning at least some of the multiple discontinuous fibers through shear flow; A step of applying a magnetic field to the liquid to align at least some of the multiple discontinuous fibers; and The process of removing the aforementioned liquid and forming a fiber-containing substrate. Methods that include...

[0173]

[37] The method of

[36] wherein the liquid contains water.

[0174]

[38] The method according to either

[36] or

[37] , wherein the liquid comprises a slurry.

[0175]

[39] The liquid is a solution, the method according to any one of

[36] -

[38] .

[0176]

[40] The liquid is an emulsion, according to any one of

[36] -

[39] .

[0177]

[41] The method according to any one of

[36] -

[40] , wherein the liquid comprises a polymer.

[0178]

[42] The method according to any one of

[36] -

[41] , wherein the liquid comprises a surfactant.

[0179]

[43] The method according to any one of

[36] -

[42] , wherein the liquid comprises a binder.

[0180]

[44] The method according to any one of

[36] -

[43] , wherein the liquid is sizing.

[0181]

[45] The method according to any one of

[36] -

[44] , wherein the substrate comprises a thermoplastic resin.

[0182]

[46] The method according to any one of

[36] -

[45] , wherein the discontinuing agent comprises carbon fiber.

[0183]

[47] The method according to any one of

[36] -

[46] , further comprising the step of neutralizing electrostatic interactions between a plurality of discontinuous agents.

[0184]

[48] ​​The method according to any one of

[36] -

[47] , wherein the magnetic field has a minimum magnetic field strength of at least 0.01 T.

[0185]

[49] The method according to any one of

[36] -

[48] , wherein the magnetic field has a maximum magnetic field strength of 10 T or less.

[0186]

[50] The method according to any one of

[36] -

[49] , wherein the step of removing the liquid includes a step of heating the liquid to remove at least a portion of the liquid.

[0187]

[51] The method according to any one of

[36] -

[50] , further comprising the step of applying pressure to the substrate.

[0188]

[52] The method of

[51] , wherein pressure is applied to the substrate to incorporate at least some of the multiple discontinuants into the substrate.

[0189]

[53] A composite material comprising a thermosetting resin polymer and a plurality of discontinuous fibers comprising at least a portion of the composite material, wherein the plurality of discontinuous fibers are substantially aligned at a fiber volume fraction of at least 20 vol% of the total composite material. Articles including.

[0190]

[54] The article of

[53] wherein the fiber volume fraction is at least 30 vol%.

[0191]

[55] The article according to either

[53] or

[54] , wherein the fiber volume fraction is at least 40 vol%.

[0192]

[56] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[55] , wherein the fiber volume fraction is at least 50 vol%.

[0193]

[57] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[56] , wherein the fiber volume fraction is at least 60 vol%.

[0194]

[58] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[57] , wherein the fiber volume fraction is at least 70 vol%.

[0195]

[59] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[58] , wherein the thermosetting resin polymer comprises epoxy.

[0196]

[60] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[59] , wherein the thermosetting resin polymer is substantially epoxy.

[0197]

[61] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[60] , wherein the thermosetting resin polymer comprises a hot melt epoxy.

[0198]

[62] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[61] , wherein the discontinuous fibers include carbon fibers.

[0199]

[63] The article of

[62] , wherein the carbon fiber has a carbon content greater than 94% and an elastic modulus of at least 200 GPa.

[0200]

[64] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[63] , wherein the discontinuous fibers include a polymer.

[0201]

[65] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[64] , wherein the discontinuous fibers include one or more of basalt, silicon carbide, aramid, zirconia, nylon, boron, alumina, silica, borosilicate, and / or mullite.

[0202]

[66] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[65] , wherein the discontinuous fibers include natural fibers.

[0203]

[67] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[66] , wherein the discontinuous fibers have an average length of at least 20 micrometers.

[0204]

[68] The article according to any one of

[53] to

[67] , wherein the discontinuous fibers have an average aspect ratio of length to diameter of at least 5.

[0205]

[69] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[68] , wherein the discontinuous fibers are covered with a coating.

[0206]

[70] The coating comprises a surfactant, a silane coupling agent, epoxy, glycerin, polyurethane, and / or an organometallic coupling agent, the article of

[69] .

[0207]

[71] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[70] , wherein the discontinuous fibers are covered with sizing.

[0208]

[72] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[71] , wherein the discontinuous fibers have an anisotropic magnetic response in response to a magnetic field.

[0209]

[73] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[72] , wherein the discontinuous fibers exhibit a physical response to a magnetic field strength of 10T.

[0210]

[74] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[73] , wherein at least 50% of the multiple discontinuous fibers are aligned.

[0211]

[75] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[74] , wherein at least some of the multiple discontinuous fibers have multiple magnetic particles adsorbed thereto.

[0212]

[76] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[75] , wherein the multiple discontinuous fibers are free of magnetic particles.

[0213]

[77] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[76] , wherein the composite material is substantially free of paramagnetic or ferromagnetic material.

[0214]

[78] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[77] , wherein the composite material has a maximum cross-sectional thickness of less than 10 cm.

[0215]

[79] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[78] , wherein the composite material has a maximum cross-sectional thickness of less than 1 cm.

[0216]

[80] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[79] , wherein the composite material is wound on a roll.

[0217]

[81] The article according to any one of

[53] -

[80] , comprising a plurality of layers of the composite material.

[0218]

[82] The article of

[81] , wherein the thermosetting resin polymer is present in one of a plurality of layers.

[0219]

[83] The article according to either

[81] or

[82] , wherein the layer of the composite material includes a metal.

[0220]

[84] The article according to any one of

[81] -

[83] , wherein the layer of the composite material includes ceramic.

[0221]

[85] A step of coating at least a portion of a substrate which comprises a thermosetting resin polymer precursor which is discontinuous fiber and substantially aligned, and which is present in a volume fraction of at least 20 vol% of the substrate; A step of curing the thermosetting resin polymer precursor to form a thermosetting resin polymer; and A step of removing at least some of the thermosetting resin polymer from the substrate as a polymer layer. Methods that include...

[0222]

[86] The method of

[85] wherein the thermosetting resin polymer comprises epoxy.

[0223]

[87] The method according to either

[85] or

[86] , wherein the thermosetting resin polymer is substantially epoxy.

[0224]

[88] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[87] , wherein the fiber volume fraction is at least 30 vol% of the base material.

[0225]

[89] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[88] , wherein the fiber volume fraction is at least 40 vol% of the base material.

[0226]

[90] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[89] , wherein the fiber volume fraction is at least 50 vol% of the base material.

[0227]

[91] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[90] , wherein the fiber volume fraction is at least 60 vol% of the base material.

[0228]

[92] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[91] , wherein the fiber volume fraction is at least 70 vol% of the base material.

[0229]

[93] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[92] , wherein at least 50% of the discontinuous fibers are aligned within 20° of the average alignment of the discontinuous fibers.

[0230]

[94] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[93] , wherein at least 75% of the discontinuous fibers are aligned within 20° of the average alignment of the discontinuous fibers.

[0231]

[95] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[94] , wherein at least 50% of the discontinuous fibers are aligned within 10° of the average alignment of the discontinuous fibers.

[0232]

[96] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[95] , wherein the discontinuous fibers include carbon fibers.

[0233]

[97] The method of

[96] wherein the carbon fiber has a carbon content greater than 94% and an elastic modulus of at least 200 GPa.

[0234]

[98] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[97] , wherein the discontinuous fiber comprises a polymer.

[0235]

[99] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[98] , wherein the discontinuous fibers include one or more of basalt, silicon carbide, aramid, zirconia, nylon, boron, alumina, silica, borosilicate, and / or mullite.

[0236]

[0100] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[99] , wherein the discontinuous fibers include natural fibers.

[0237]

[0101] The discontinuous fiber has an average length of at least 20 micrometers, according to any one of

[85] -

[0100] .

[0238]

[0102] The discontinuous fiber has an average length of 200 micrometers or less, according to the method of any one of

[85] -

[0101] .

[0239]

[0103] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[0102] , wherein the discontinuous fibers are at least 5, and have an average aspect ratio of length to diameter.

[0240]

[0104] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[0103] , wherein at least some of the discontinuous fibers are covered with a fiber coating.

[0241]

[0105] The fiber coating comprises a surfactant, a silane coupling agent, epoxy, glycerin, polyurethane, and / or an organometallic coupling agent, according to the method of

[0104] .

[0242]

[0106] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[0105] , wherein at least some of the discontinuous fibers are covered with sizing.

[0243]

[0107] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[0106] , wherein at least some of the discontinuous fibers have an anisotropic magnetic response in response to a magnetic field.

[0244]

[0108] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[0107] , wherein at least some of the discontinuous fibers exhibit a physical response to a magnetic field strength of 10T.

[0245]

[0109] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[0108] , wherein at least some of the discontinuous fibers have a plurality of magnetic particles adsorbed thereto.

[0246]

[0110] The discontinuous fiber is free of magnetic particles, according to any one of

[85] -

[0109] .

[0247]

[0111] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[0110] , comprising the step of pressing a film containing the thermosetting resin polymer onto the substrate.

[0248]

[0112] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[0111] , comprising the step of applying heat to the thermosetting resin polymer to a temperature at least sufficient to melt at least a portion of the thermosetting resin polymer during curing.

[0249]

[0113] The temperature is at least 40 o Method C,

[0112] .

[0250]

[0114] The temperature is at least 50 o The method according to either

[0112] or

[0113] , wherein C is C.

[0251]

[0115] The temperature is at least 60 o The method described in any of

[0112] -

[0114] , which is C.

[0252]

[0116] The method according to any one of

[0112] to

[0115] , further comprising the step of pressing the film onto a substrate and then cooling the thermosetting resin polymer.

[0253]

[0117] The method according to any of

[0116] , comprising the step of cooling the substrate to room temperature.

[0254]

[0118] The method according to either

[0116] or

[0117] , comprising the step of cooling the substrate by blowing air over it.

[0255]

[0119] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[0118] , wherein curing includes the step of applying pressure to the thermosetting resin polymer.

[0256]

[0120] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[0119] , wherein the curing step includes applying a pressure of at least 15 psi (measurement standard) to the thermosetting resin polymer.

[0257]

[0121] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[0120] , wherein the curing step includes applying a pressure of at least 30 psi (measurement standard) to the thermosetting resin polymer.

[0258]

[0122] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[0121] , wherein the substrate comprises a polymer.

[0259]

[0123] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[0122] , wherein the substrate comprises a thermoplastic polymer.

[0260]

[0124] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[0123] , wherein the substrate comprises a metal.

[0261]

[0125] The method according to any one of

[85] -

[0124] , wherein the substrate comprises ceramic.

[0262]

[0126] The polymer layer having a thickness of less than 200 micrometers, according to any one of

[85] -

[0125] .

[0263]

[0127] The polymer layer initially incorporates at least 50% of the discontinuous fibers, according to any one of

[85] -

[0126] .

[0264]

[0128] The polymer layer initially incorporates at least 80% of the discontinuous fibers, according to any one of

[85] -

[0127] .

[0265]

[0129] The polymer layer initially incorporates substantially all of the discontinuous fibers, according to any one of

[85] -

[0128] .

[0266]

[0130] The substrate containing substantially aligned carbon fibers is: A step of coating at least a portion of the substrate with a slurry containing water and the discontinuous fibers; A step of aligning at least some of the discontinuous fibers; and The method according to any one of

[85] to

[0129] , which is prepared by removing water from the slurry to produce a substrate containing substantially aligned carbon fibers.

[0267]

[0131] The method of

[0130] , wherein the step of aligning at least some of the discontinuous fibers includes the step of exposing the substrate to a magnetic field having a magnetic field strength of at least 0.1 T.

[0268]

[0132] The method according to any one of

[0130] -

[0131] , wherein the step of aligning at least some of the discontinuous fibers includes applying a liquid to the substrate to align at least some of the discontinuous fibers via shear flow.

[0269]

[0133] The method according to any one of

[0130] -

[0132] , wherein the slurry comprises a polymer.

[0270]

[0134] The slurry is a volatile organic compound, the method according to any one of

[0130] -

[0133] .

[0271]

[0135] The method according to any one of

[0130] -

[0134] , wherein the step of removing water from the slurry includes a step of evaporating at least some of the water.

[0272]

[0136] The method according to any one of

[0130] -

[0135] , wherein the step of removing water from the slurry includes the step of discharging at least some of the water from the slurry.

[0273]

[0137] A step of coating at least a portion of the substrate with a slurry containing water and discontinuous fibers; A step of aligning at least some of the discontinuous fibers; A step of removing water from the slurry to produce a substrate containing substantially aligned discontinuous fibers; A step of coating at least a portion of the substrate with a thermosetting resin polymer precursor; A step of curing the thermosetting resin polymer precursor to form a thermosetting resin polymer; and A step of removing at least some of the thermosetting resin polymer from the substrate as a polymer layer. Methods that include...

[0274]

[0138] The method of

[0137] , wherein the step of aligning at least some of the discontinuous fibers includes the step of aligning at least some of the discontinuous fibers at an angle of at least 60° with respect to the substrate.

[0275]

[0139] The method according to either

[0137] or

[0138] , wherein the step of aligning at least some of the discontinuous fibers includes the step of aligning at least some of the discontinuous fibers at an angle of at least 80° with respect to the substrate.

[0276]

[0140] The method according to any one of

[0137] -

[0139] , wherein the step of aligning at least some of the discontinuous fibers includes the step of exposing the substrate to a magnetic field having a magnetic field strength of at least 0.1 T.

[0277]

[0141] The method of

[0140] wherein the magnetic field strength is at least 0.3T.

[0278]

[0142] The method according to either

[0140] or

[0141] , wherein the magnetic field strength is at least sufficient to align at least some of the discontinuous fibers.

[0279]

[0143] The method according to any one of

[0140] -

[0142] , wherein the magnetic field is arranged to at least partially align the discontinuous fibers.

[0280]

[0144] The method according to any one of

[0140] -

[0143] , wherein the magnetic field is arranged substantially perpendicular to the substrate.

[0281]

[0145] The magnetic field is positioned at an angle of at least 60° with respect to the substrate, according to any one of the methods described in

[0140] -

[0144] .

[0282]

[0146] The method according to any one of

[0137] -

[0145] , wherein the step of aligning at least some of the discontinuous fibers includes applying a liquid to the substrate to align at least some of the carbon fibers via shear flow.

[0283]

[0147] The method of

[0146] wherein the liquid includes water.

[0284]

[0148] The liquid is a solution, the method according to either

[0146] or

[0147] .

[0285]

[0149] The liquid is an emulsion, according to any one of

[0146] -

[0148] .

[0286]

[0150] The liquid comprises a polymer, according to any of the methods described in

[0146] -

[0149] .

[0287]

[0151] The liquid comprises a surfactant, and the method is described in any of

[0146] -

[0150] .

[0288]

[0152] The liquid is a method according to any one of

[0146] -

[0151] , including sizing.

[0289]

[0153] The slurry comprises a polymer, according to any one of

[0137] -

[0152] .

[0290]

[0154] The method according to any one of

[0137] -

[0153] , wherein the slurry contains a volatile organic compound.

[0291]

[0155] The method according to any one of

[0137] -

[0154] , wherein the slurry contains at least 10 vol% of discontinuous fibers.

[0292]

[0156] The method according to any one of

[0137] -

[0155] , wherein the slurry contains at least 30 vol% of discontinuous fibers.

[0293]

[0157] The method according to any one of

[0137] -

[0156] , wherein the step of removing water from the slurry includes a step of evaporating at least some of the water.

[0294]

[0158] The method according to any one of

[0137] -

[0157] , wherein the step of removing water from the slurry includes the step of discharging at least some of the water from the slurry.

[0295]

[0159] The method according to any one of

[0137] -

[0158] , wherein the step of removing water includes a step of applying heat to the slurry.

[0296]

[0160] The step of removing water is to make the slurry at least 100 o The method according to any one of

[0137] -

[0159] , which includes the step of heating to a temperature of C.

[0297]

[0161] The step of removing water is to remove the slurry at least 150 o The method according to any one of

[0137] -

[0160] , comprising the step of heating to a temperature of C.

[0298]

[0162] A step of coating at least a portion of the substrate with a slurry containing water and discontinuous fibers; A step of aligning at least some of the discontinuous fibers; A step of coating at least a portion of the substrate with a thermosetting resin polymer precursor; A step of curing the thermosetting resin polymer precursor to form a thermosetting resin polymer; and A step of removing at least some of the thermosetting resin polymer from the substrate as a polymer layer. Methods that include...

Claims

1. A composite material comprising a base material and a plurality of discontinuous fibers contained in at least a portion of the base material, wherein the plurality of discontinuous fibers are substantially aligned throughout the composite material at a fiber volume fraction of at least 50 vol%, The aforementioned discontinuous fibers include carbon fibers, The carbon fiber has a carbon content greater than 94% and an elastic modulus of at least 200 GPa. The plurality of discontinuous fibers are aligned substantially perpendicular to the substrate, The composite material is an article that is substantially free of paramagnetic or ferromagnetic materials.

2. The article according to claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a thermoplastic resin.

3. The article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate is substantially made of a thermoplastic resin.

4. The aforementioned substrates include polyimide (PI), polyamideimide (PAI), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketone (PEK), polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), polyethersulfone (PES), polyetherimide (PEI), polysulfone (PSU), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA), polyamide 46 (PA46), polyamide 66 (PA66), polyamide 12 (PA12), polyamide 11 (PA11), polyamide 6 (PA6), polyamide 6.6 (PA6.6), polyamide 6.6 / 6 (PA6.6 / 6), amorphous polyamide (PA6-3-T), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyphthalamide (PPA), liquid crystalline polymer (LCP), and polycarbonate. An article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising one or more of the following: polynate (PC), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyphenyl ether (PPE), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polybenzimidazole (PBI), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), poly-paraphenylene copolymer (PPP), polyacrylonitrile, polyethyleneimine, polyetherketone etherketone ketone (PEKEKK), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), and / or polymethylpentene (PMP).

5. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the base material comprises a plurality of continuous fibers.

6. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the discontinuous fibers include one or more of basalt fibers, silicon carbide fibers, aramid fibers, zirconia fibers, nylon fibers, boron fibers, alumina fibers, silica fibers, borosilicate fibers, and / or mullite fibers.

7. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the discontinuous fibers further comprise natural fibers.

8. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the discontinuous fibers have an average length of at least 20 micrometers.

9. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the discontinuous fibers are at least 5 and have an average aspect ratio of length to diameter.

10. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the discontinuous fibers are covered with a coating.

11. The article according to claim 10, wherein the coating comprises a surfactant, a silane coupling agent, epoxy, glycerin, polyurethane, and / or an organometallic coupling agent.

12. The article according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the discontinuous fibers are covered with sizing.

13. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the discontinuous fibers have an anisotropic diamagnetic response in response to a magnetic field.

14. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the discontinuous fibers exhibit a physical response to a magnetic field strength of 10 T.

15. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein at least 50% of the multiple discontinuous fibers are aligned.

16. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the composite material has a maximum cross-sectional thickness of less than 10 cm.

17. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the composite material has a maximum cross-sectional thickness of less than 1 cm.

18. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the composite material is wound on a roll.

19. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the substrate is one of a plurality of layers in the composite material.

20. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the layer of the substrate comprises a polymer.

21. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the layer of the substrate includes a composite material.

22. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the layer of the base material contains metal.

23. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the layer of the substrate includes ceramic.

24. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the composite material further comprises a binder that binds to the substrate and a plurality of discontinuous fibers.

25. A process of applying a liquid containing multiple discontinuous fibers to a substrate and aligning at least some of the multiple discontinuous fibers through shear flow; A step of applying a magnetic field to the liquid to align at least some of the discontinuous fibers such that the discontinuous fibers are aligned substantially perpendicular to the substrate; and The process of removing the aforementioned liquid and forming a fiber-containing substrate. A method for producing a fiber-containing substrate, including, The aforementioned discontinuous fibers include carbon fibers, The carbon fiber has a carbon content greater than 94% and an elastic modulus of at least 200 GPa. The liquid is a method for producing a fiber-containing substrate that is substantially free of paramagnetic material.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the liquid contains water.

27. The method according to claim 25 or 26, wherein the liquid comprises a slurry.

28. The method according to claim 25 or 26, wherein the liquid is a solution.

29. The method according to claim 25 or 26, wherein the liquid is an emulsion.

30. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 29, wherein the liquid comprises a polymer.

31. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 30, wherein the liquid contains a surfactant.

32. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 31, wherein the liquid comprises a binder.

33. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 32, wherein the liquid includes sizing.

34. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 33, wherein the substrate comprises a thermoplastic resin.

35. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 34, further comprising the step of neutralizing the electrostatic interaction between a plurality of discontinuous fibers.

36. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 35, wherein the magnetic field has a maximum magnetic field strength of 10 T or less.

37. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 36, wherein the step of removing the liquid includes a step of heating the liquid to remove at least a portion of the liquid.

38. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 37, further comprising the step of applying pressure to the substrate.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein pressure is applied to the substrate to incorporate at least some of the multiple discontinuous fibers into the substrate.

Images