Composition of and method for making high performance resins for infusion and transfer molding processes

US6359107B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• John W. Connell · Newport News, US
• Joseph G. Smith, Jr. · Smithfield, US
• Paul M. Hergenrother · Yorktown, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 18, 2000
• Grant date: Mar 19, 2002
• Expiry date: May 18, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T428/31721
• WIPO field: Macromolecular chemistry, polymers
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A composition of and method for making high performance imide resins that are processable by resin transfer molding (RTM) and resin infusion (RI) techniques were developed. Materials with a combination of properties, making them particularly useful for the fabrication of composite parts via RTM and/or RI processes, were prepared, characterized and fabricated into moldings and carbon fiber reinforced composites and their mechanical properties were determined. These materials are particularly useful for the fabrication of structural composite components for aerospace applications. The method for making high performance resins for RTM and RI processes is a multi-faceted approach. It involves the preparation of a mixture of products from a combination of aromatic diamines and aromatic dianhydrides at relatively low calculated molecular weights (i.e. high stoichiometric offsets) and endcapping with latent reactive groups. The combination of these monomers results in a mixture of products, in the imide form, that exhibits a stable melt viscosity of less than approximately 60 poise below approximately 300° C.