Claims
- 1. A method of making a fiber reinforced composite article having a honeycomb core wherein the honeycomb core has a thickness greater than one inch, comprising:
- bonding a layer of resin impregnated, woven, continuous graphite fibers to one of the open-cell surfaces of the honeycomb core,
- curing the resin thereby stabilizing the honeycomb core,
- cutting the stabilized honeycomb core to net shape,
- laying up one or more layers of reinforced matrix material onto the shaped, stabilized honeycomb,
- heating under vacuum and pressure to cure the resin matrix resulting in a honeycomb core containing composite with the honeycomb core having substantially retained its pre-bonded shape.
- 2. A structurally stable, open-cell, honeycomb core structure having a wall height greater than 1.0 inch comprising an open-cell honeycomb core having a layer of cured, resin impregnated, graphite fibers bonded to one open-cell surface of the honeycomb core, the walls of the bonded core being substantially noncompressible under heat and pressure or vacuum.
Government Interests
The Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. N00019-82-C-0127 awarded by the Department of the Navy.
US Referenced Citations (4)