Claims
- 1. Method for making a flexible graphite sheet having opposite planar outer surfaces which is permeable to liquid resin solution which comprises:
- (i) treating natural graphite flake with an intercalating solution to obtain heat expandable, intercalated graphite flake particles;
- (ii) mixing from about 1.5 to 30% by weight of needle-shaped ceramic fiber particles with said intercalated graphite flake particles to provide a blended mixture, said needle-shaped ceramic fiber particles being non-reactive with flexible graphite and stable at temperatures up to 2500.degree. F.;
- (iii) passing said blended mixture of intercalated natural graphite flake particles and needle-shaped ceramic fiber particles through a flame to cause rapid exfoliation of said intercalated natural graphite particles and provide a mixture of said needle-shaped ceramic fiber particles with exfoliated graphite particles; and
- (iv) passing said mixture of needle-shaped particles and exfoliated graphite particles between pressure rolls to form a compressed sheet of flexible graphite having embedded therein a dispersion of a plurality of needle-shaped particles which extend from at least one of said planar outer surfaces into the sheet.
- 2. Method in accordance with claim 1 wherein (i) the sheet of step (iv) is immersed in resin which penetrates the sheet; (ii) stabilizing the resin by heating; and (iii) calendering the resin containing sheet by passing the resin containing sheet between pressure rolls.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional application of Ser. No. 08/833,136, filed Apr. 4, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
4954193 |
Murakami et al. |
Sep 1990 |
|
5846459 |
Mercuri |
Dec 1998 |
|
5902762 |
Mercuri et al. |
May 1999 |
|
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
833136 |
Apr 1997 |
|