초록 ▼

An article of manufacture comprising a sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite capable of being located within a hollow interior portion of a structural material and being expanded therein. Also, articles of manufacture comprising open-cellular structural material containing within the op

An article of manufacture comprising a sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite capable of being located within a hollow interior portion of a structural material and being expanded therein. Also, articles of manufacture comprising open-cellular structural material containing within the open-cell or cell thereof, at least one sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite. The composite is desirably in the shape of a plug that is similar or close to similar to the shape of the hollow interior. In addition, there is described a process that comprises forming a pre-shaped sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite for use in reinforcing and stiffening a normally open-cellular structural material. Also described is a process for reinforcing or stiffening a normally open-cellular structure, any tubular structure, or any channel structure, by putting at least one sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite within a hollow interior portion of the structure. The invention is particularly desirable for stiffening and/or reinforcing honeycomb structures.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A pre-shaped sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite comprising: (a) thermoplastic particles; (b) a heat curable composition comprising a benzoxazine component; and (c) a material for rendering the monolithic composite sag resistant, wherein the thermoplastic part

What is claimed is: 1. A pre-shaped sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite comprising: (a) thermoplastic particles; (b) a heat curable composition comprising a benzoxazine component; and (c) a material for rendering the monolithic composite sag resistant, wherein the thermoplastic particles are substantially uniformly distributed in the heat curable composition. 2. The monolithic composite of claim 1, wherein the heat curable composition further comprises acrylonitrile-butadiene co-polymer having secondary amine terminal groups. 3. The monolithic composite of claim 1, wherein the heat curable composition further comprises an epoxy or episulfide component; optionally, one or more of an oxazoline component, a cyanate ester component, a phenolic component, and a thiophenolic component; optionally, a toughener component; and optionally, a curative. 4. The monolithic composite of claim 1, having a substantially uniform density and thickness across its breadth and an external shape and size that is dimensionally similar to a hollow interior component of a structural material for which it is designed to be introduced for subsequent thermal expansion. 5. A sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite of thermoplastic particles, substantially uniformly distributed in a heat curable composition, having a substantially uniform density and thickness across its breadth, and an external shape and size that is dimensionally similar to a hollow interior component of a structural material that is about 1.01 to about 4 times greater in volume than the volume of monolithic composite, and wherein the heat curable composition comprises (a) a benzoxazine component. 6. The monolithic composite of claim 5, wherein the heat curable composition further comprises (b) acrylonitrile-butadiene co-polymer having secondary amine terminal groups. 7. The monolithic composite of claim 5, wherein the heat curable composition further comprises: (b) an epoxy or episulfide component; (c) optionally, one or more of an oxazoline component, a cyanate ester component, a phenolic component, and a thiophenolic component; (d) optionally, a toughener component; and (e) optionally, a curative. 8. The monolithic composite of claim 5, having a shape and dimension that substantially correlate to the shape and is at least close to proportional to the dimensions of the hollow interior component of a structural material into which it can be readily inserted and isotropically expanded to form a syntactic foam with closed microcells. 9. The monolithic composite of claim 5, wherein the conformance of the shape and dimension of the sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite to the hollow interior component of a structural material is proportional in dimension of the sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite to the hollow interior component such that the composite isotropically expands about 1.01 to about 4 times in volume to fully fill the previously hollow interior component. 10. The monolithic composite of claim 1, in the shape of a plug. 11. The monolithic composite of claim 1, wherein the benzoxazine of the heat curable composition comprises: wherein o is 1-4, X is selected from the group consisting of a direct bond (when o is 2), alkyl (when o is 1), alkylene (when 1 is 2-4), carbonyl (when o is 2), thiol (when o is 1), thioether (when o is 2), sulfoxide (when o is 2), and sulfone (when o is 2), R1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl and aryl, and R4 is selected from hydrogen, halogen and alkyl. 12. The monolithic composite of claim 1, wherein the benzoxazine of the heat curable composition comprises one or more of: wherein X is selected from the group consisting of a direct bond, CH2, C(CH3)2, C═O, S, S═O and O═S═O, and R1, R2 and R3 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl and aryl. 13. The monolithic composite of claim 1, wherein the benzoxazine of the heat curable composition comprises: wherein p is 2, Y is selected from the group consisting of biphenyl (when p is 2), diphenyl methane (when p is 2), diphenyl isopropane (when p is 2), diphenyl sulfide (when p is 2), diphenyl sulfoxide (when p is 2), diphenyl sulfone (when p is 2), and diphenyl ketone (when p is 2), and R4 is selected from hydrogen, halogen and alkyl. 14. The monolithic composite of claim 1, wherein the benzoxazine of the heat curable composition comprises one or more of: 15. The sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite of claim 5, wherein the benzoxazine of the heat curable composition comprises: wherein o is 1-4, X is selected from the group consisting of a direct bond (when o is 2), alkyl (when o is 1), alkylene (when o is 2-4), carbonyl (when o is 2), thiol (when o is 1), thioether (when o is 2), sulfoxide (when o is 2), and sulfone (when o is 2), R1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl and aryl, and R4 is selected from hydrogen, halogen and alkyl. 16. The sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite of claim 5, wherein the benzoxazine of the heat curable composition comprises one or more of: wherein X is selected from the group consisting of a direct bond, CH2, C(CH3)2, C═O, S, S═O and O═S═O, and R1, R2 and R3 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl and aryl. 17. The sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite of claim 5, wherein the benzoxazine of the heat curable composition comprises wherein p is 2, Y is selected from the group consisting of biphenyl (when p is 2), diphenyl methane (when p is 2), diphenyl isopropane (when p is 2), diphenyl sulfide (when p is 2), diphenyl sulfoxide (when p is 2), diphenyl sulfone (when p is 2), and diphenyl ketone (when p is 2), and R4 is selected from hydrogen, halogen and alkyl. 18. The sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite of claim 5, wherein the benzoxazine of the heat curable composition comprises one or more of 19. The monolithic composite of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic particles are pre-expanded. 20. The monolithic composite of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic particles are in situ expandable. 21. The sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite of claim 5, wherein the thermoplastic particles are pre-expanded. 22. The sag-resistant nucleus-forming monolithic composite of claim 5, wherein the thermoplastic particles are in situ expandable. 23. The monolithic composite of claim 1, wherein the monolithic composite is adapted for use within a hollow interior portion of a structural material without opposing surfaces of the monolithic composite facing each other, thereby establishing an essentially faultless interface with the structural material. 24. The monolithic composite of claim 1, wherein the material for rendering the monolithic composite sag resistant comprises a thixotropic agent. 25. The monolithic composite of claim 1, wherein the monolithic composite is capable of being located within a hollow interior portion of a structural material and being isotropically expanded therein.