초록 ▼

A syntactic foam-core material and method for its production are disclosed wherein glass microspheres and chopped fiberglass are dispersed within a slurry comprised of a suitable resin such as an epoxy and a suitable solvent such as methyl ethyl ketone. Under carefully controlled vacuum and rate of

A syntactic foam-core material and method for its production are disclosed wherein glass microspheres and chopped fiberglass are dispersed within a slurry comprised of a suitable resin such as an epoxy and a suitable solvent such as methyl ethyl ketone. Under carefully controlled vacuum and rate of addition conditions, the microspheres and chopped fiberglass are added to the slurry to form a light weight syntactic foam-core material. The material may either be stored under cold conditions for use at a later time as a B-stage material or it may be shaped and/or molded to conform to a desired configuration which, for example, may correspond with a desired component part. After curing, the material may be machined to final dimensions. The material may be characterized as a tightly packed network of resin-coated microspheres spaced by controlled, yet random voids comprising at least 20%, and more usually, between 23 and 25% by volume, of the fully-cured material.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What we claim is:] [1.] A method for preparing a readily conformable, B-staged, low density syntactic foam-core composite comprising the steps of:a) combining a resin, a first portion of a solvent for the resin, and a plurality of microspheres to form a slurry in which the resin, solvent, and micr

[ What we claim is:] [1.] A method for preparing a readily conformable, B-staged, low density syntactic foam-core composite comprising the steps of:a) combining a resin, a first portion of a solvent for the resin, and a plurality of microspheres to form a slurry in which the resin, solvent, and microspheres are substantially uniformly dispersed;b) forming a measured amount of the slurry into a sheet;c) heating the sheet to a temperature between about T.sub.vmin -20.degree. F. and T.sub.vmin for a period of time between about t.sub.vmin -15 minutes and t.sub.vmin to partially cure the resin to a point approaching but not beyond minimum viscosity, where T.sub.vmin and t.sub.vmin represent a point at which the resin reaches a minimum viscosity as a function of time and temperature; andd) cooling the sheet by placing it in an environment having a temperature not greater than room temperature.