LAMINATE OF METAL SHEETS AND CONTINUOUS GLASS FILAMENTS-REINFORCED SYNTHETIC MATERIAL

Abstract: Laminate displaying improved blunt notch behaviour, so that it is suitable fore use as a constructional material in aviation and cosmonautics. It comprises at intermediate layer (3) of thermoplastic material reinforced by continuous glass filaments (4) having a modulus of elasticity of at l east 80 GPa. The glass filaments are composed of 58-69% b.w. of SIO2, 18-29% b.w. of AL2O3 and 7-19% b.w. of MGO. Preferably, they have a tenacity of at least 4 GPa, and an elongation at break of at least 4%. The thermoplastic material may be an amorphous resin having a Tg > 140 degrees C such as, e.g., polyarylates, poly(ether)sulfones, polyetherimides or poly-p-pheny­ lene ethers, or a semi- or para-crystalline resin having a crystalline melting point > 170 degrees C, such as poly-phenylene sulfides, polyether­ ketones or liquid crystal polymers.

Description: Laminate of metal sheets and continuous glass filaments-reinforced synthetic material The invention relates to a laminate composed of at least two metal sheets each having a thickness of less than 1.5 mm, more particularly of 0.1 to 0.8 mm, between which there is provided a synthetic layer bonded to the metal sheets, which layer contains continuous glass filaments having a modulus of elasticity greater than 50 GPa and extending parallel to each other in at least one direction, said glass filaments constituting 35-75% by volume of said synthetic material and the glass filaments combined. Such a laminate is known from Dutch Patent Application Nos. 8 100 087 and 8 100 088. The article by Kh. Hillermeier and H.G. Weijland referred to on page 2 and page 3, respectively, of said Patent Specifications, "An aramid yarn for reinforcing plastics", Plastica, November 1977, No. 11, pp. 374-380, describes for reinforcement filaments of glass the so-called E-glass, which under tensile load displays a modulus of elasticity of 70 GPa and a tensile strength of 1,9 GPa (see Table I on p. 375 of the aforesaid Plastica article). Said E-glass as a rule substantially consists of 55% by weight of SiO₂, 15% by weight of Al₂O₃, 19% by weight of CaO, 7% by weight of B₂O₃, and 3% by weight of MgO, and optionally of small amounts of other materials. In actual practice reinforcement filaments and fibres of E-glass have for dozens of years been applied successfully on a very wide scale for reinforcing synthetic materials. Although reasonable results may in principle be obtained using the known laminate composed of an E-glass filaments-reinforced synthetic layer mentioned in the opening paragraph, the performance of these known laminates is not optimal when subjected to particular frequently occurring load situations. The known laminate in particular is not always fully capable of meeting the high demands on the blunt notch behaviour of a construction panel in air- and spacecraft engineering. Tests have even shown that under tensile load the blunt notch behaviour of simple and inexpensive solid sheets of an alumimium alloy will be more favourable under particular conditions than that of sheets composed of the more expensive and more intricate known laminate consisting of sheets of an aluminium alloy and an E-glass filaments-reinforced synthetic layer. The invention has for its object to provide a laminate of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph, in which the aforesaid drawbacks have been overcome. The laminate according to the invention is characterized in that the glass filaments have a modulus of elasticity of the metal sheets consisting of a material having a tensile strength greater than 0.20 GPa. The laminate according to the invention is with advantage characterized in that the tensile strength of the glass filaments is at least 4 GPa, more particularly 4-6 GPa, and their elongation at rupture at least 4%, more particularly 5-6%, the density of the glass filaments is 2,4-2,5 g/cm³, the diameter of each of the glass filaments 5-25 µm, more particularly 8-12 µm, the metal sheets consist of a material having a tensile strength higher than 0,35 GPa, the number of metal sheets is in the range of 2 to 20, the glass filaments are covered with a substance for bonding them to the synthetic material, and the glass filaments constitute 40-65% by volume of the total volume of synthetic material and glass filaments combined. According to the invention the metal sheets in the laminate may be of a metal selected from the following group of materials: steel, aluminium alloy, more particularly aluminium-copper alloys, such as those of the AA(USA) No. 2024 type or aluminium-zinc alloys, such as those of the AA(USA) No. 7075 type, titanium alloys, copper alloys and magnesium alloys. A preferable embodiment of the laminate according to the invention is characterized in that the synthetic layer is composed of one or more layers of plastics-impregnated glass filaments, the filament layers being provided on either side with a synthetic boundary layer contacted by the metal sheets and bonded thereto, which boundary layers contain virtually no glass filaments and have a thickness each of 10-60 µm. Favourable results have been attained using a laminate characterized according to the invention in that the synthetic layer consists of a non-thermoplastic synthetic material, such as epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester resin, vinyl esters, or phenol resins. For uses requiring a relatively high deformability of the laminate according to the invention, the synthetic layer should according to the invention be of a thermoplastic synthetic material. In the first place, use may to this end be made according to the invention of a virtually amorphous thermoplastic synthetic material having a glass transition temperature Tg of at least 80°C, more particularly above 130° or 140°C, preferably above 160°C, such as polyarylate (PAR), polysulphone (PSO), polyethersulphone (PES), polyetherimide (PEI), or polyphenylene ether (PPE), more particularly poly-2,6 dimethyl phenylene ether. In addition, use may be made according to the invention of a semi-crystalline or para-crystalline thermoplastic synthetic material having a crystalline melting point Tm of at least 130°C, more particularly above 170°C, and preferably above 270°C, such as polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) polyamide-4,6, polyketone sulphide, polyether ketones, more particularly polyether-ether ketone (PEEK), polyether ketone (PEK), and polyether ketone-ketone (PEKK), or liquid crystal polymers, such as XYDAR® of Dartco composed of the monomers bisphenol, terephthalic acid, and hydroxybenzoic acid. It has been found that under tensile load the blunt notch behaviour of the laminate according to the invention is more favourable than that of the aforementioned known laminate with E-glass filaments, and that the laminate according to the invention will even display a more favourable blunt notch behaviour than a solid sheet of an aluminium alloy. This is surprising since it is well-known that solid sheets of aluminium alloys display a particularly favourable blunt notch behaviour. By the blunt notch behaviour of a constructional component is meant the influence of a structural distortion in the material on the tensile strength. As distortions in the material in the form of bolt holes, passages for cables or lines will occur frequently, the favourable blunt notch behaviour of the laminate according to the invention should be considered a significant advantage in actual practice. The glass filaments applied in the laminate according to the invention have a greater rigidity than the E-glass filaments used in the known laminates, as a result of which fatigue cracks in the laminate according to the invention will less readily propagate. Consequently, the laminates according to the invention display a lower crack propagation rate than the known laminates based on E-glass filaments. Because of the relatively high elongation at rupture, viz. 5-6%, of the glass filaments used in the laminate according to the invention, the deformation treatments frequently applied in the further processing of the laminate, in which the filaments are subjected to a longitudinal load, will cause fewer problems. Also, said high elongation at rupture will result in a higher energy absorption up to the moment at which the glass filaments will break and, hence, in more favourable impact properties of the laminate according to the invention. Particularly when in the laminate according to the invention the synthetic layer consists of a thermoplastic synthetic material, the several constituent layers of the laminate will have to be compressed during manufacture at a relatively high processing temperature, e.g. about 200° to 400°C, depending on the type of synthetic material used. This high processing temperature will lead to the presence in the laminate of quite high residual stresses after it has been cooled to room temperature owing to the different coefficients of expansion of the metal sheets and the glass filaments. According to the invention, such unfavourable residual stresses, with tensile stresses prevailing in the metal sheets and compressive stresses in the glass filaments, may be eliminated in a simple manner by subjecting the laminate in its entirety to a pre-stressing treatment. In such pre-stressing the laminate in its entirety is so elongated that the metal sheets are subject to plastic deformation without causing the glass filaments to break. After the laminate has been prestressed to a sufficient degree, compressive stresses will prevail in the metal sheets of the externally entirely unloaded laminate and tensile stresses in the glass filaments. Partly as a result of the high elongation at rupture of 5-6% of the glass filaments in the laminate according to the invention, the laminate may be sufficiently pre-stressed in a simple manner. Consequently, even when use is made of a synthetic layer of a thermoplastic synthetic material having a very high processing temperature of about 400°C, an optimally applicable end laminate may be obtained after said pre-stressing. It is further expected that the compressive properties of the laminate according to the invention are more favourable than those of the known laminate with reinforcement filaments of E-glass. It should be added that the article entitled "Glass Composition for Spinnig Fibre" by S. Kumar in Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids 80(1986) mar. No. 1/3, pp 122-134, Amsterdam, Netherlands, mention is made of polymer matrix-based composites reinforced with glass fibres. This article describes the composition and properties of various types of glass fibres, such as the E-glass, C-glass, S-glass and AR-glass and N-glass fibres. On page 123 (lines 6, 7) of this article it is stated that S-type glass fibres are used for high performance applications mostly in aerospace application. On page 132, last two lines of the second full paragraph it is indicated that, in any case, the properties of the several glass fibres, such as S-glass fibres, are decidedly inferior to those of other competing materials, such as carbon fibres. Surprisingly and in contradistinction to the teachings of this article it appeared that the metal-S-fibre-reinforced polymer/metal laminate according to the present invention provides a more favourable blunt notch, fatique and impact behaviour than a laminate comprising carbon fibres does. Reference is also made to FR-A-1357393, which describes the composition of S-glass fibres per se. It is indicated (see page 1) that these glass fibres may be used as reinforcement in organic materials for use in aircraft. Mention is further made of EP-A-0 013 164, which relates to a laminate comprising a relatively thick thermoplastic layer of synthetic material covered on both sides with a thinner metal layer. In said patent application it is stated in general that the layer of synthetic material may optionally contain glass fibres (see page 47, 48). Further, the fibres contained in the thermoplastic core material of this known laminate are to be in the form of randomly oriented short discontinuous fibres in order to permit the required considerable and ready deformation of the laminate, particularly when used in panels for automobile bodies (see claim 41). The use of S-glass fibres is not mentioned in this publication. To illustrate the advantages of the laminate according to the invention a comparison was made in Fig. 1 between the blunt notch behaviour of test specimens of the laminate according to the invention and the blunt notch behaviour of several other materials. To that end the nett tensile strength in MPa is plotted on the ordinate and the magnitude of the stress concentration factor K t on the abscissa. The curve of the blunt notch behaviour of test specimens of the laminate according to the invention is depicted by the line indicated with ALGLA-2S42. Said laminate is composed of two sheets of aluminium-copper alloy of the AA(USA) No. 2024-T₃ type with a thickness each of 0,4 mm. The glass filaments were of the type marketed by Owens Corning Fiberglas under the trademark S₂®-glass. The modulus of elasticity of the S₂®-glass filaments used was about 88,5 GPa, the tensile strength about 4,7 GPa, the elongation at rupture about 5,4%, the density 2,5 g/cm³, and the linear coefficient of expansion about 2,5.10⁻⁶ mm/mm/°C. The S₂®-glass filaments used each had a diameter of about 10 µm and were introduced into a thermosetting synthetic matrix based on epoxy resin of the AF163-2 type marketed by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. The glass filaments formed 50% by volume of the total volume of synthetic material and glass filaments. The prepreg formed by the glass filaments-reinforced synthetic layer had a total thickness of about 0,3 mm and during the manufacture of the laminate it was placed in between the two aluminium sheets and intimately attached to them. The laminate according to the invention was not pre-stressed. The ALGLA-2S42 curve in Fig. 1 was plotted by subjecting the test specimens drawn in Fig. 1 to tensile tests. The peak of the ALGLA-2S42 line was determined from the average of repeated measurements on the drawn, non-perforated test specimen, so that K t = 1,0. The next, lower point was determined from the average of repeated measurements on the drawn test specimen, which was provided with a circular perforation (distortion of the material) 10 mm in diameter, such that K t = 2,08. The lowest point of the ALGLA-2S42 line in Fig. 1 was determined from the average of repeated measurements on the drawn test specimen, which had been provided with an elongated perforation (distortion of the material), such that K t = 3,18. The curve of the blunt notch behaviour of a prior art laminate is illustrated in Fig. 1 by the dash ALGLA-2E42 line. The only difference between such a laminate and the laminate according to the invention is that the reinforcement filaments are of E-glass instead of S₂®-glass. Use was made of E-glass having a modulus of elasticity of about 74 GPa, a tensile strength of about 3,5 GPa, an elongation at rupture of about 4,8%, a density of about 2,6 g/cm³, and a linear coefficient of expansion of about 5,1 × 10⁻⁶ mm/mm/°C. In addition, there is depicted in Fig. 1 the blunt notch behaviour of two solid sheets of two different aluminium alloys, viz. aluminium-zinc alloy of the AA(USA) No. 7075-T₆ type and aluminium-copper alloy of the AA(USA) No. 2024-T₃ type. As shown in Fig. 1, the blunt notch behaviour of the ALGLA-2S42 laminate according to the invention is considerably more favourable than that of the comparable prior art ALGLA-2E42 laminate. The blunt notch behaviour of the ALGLA-2S42 laminate according to the invention also is more favourable than that of solid sheets of the 7075-T₆ and 2024-T₃ aluminium alloys. Furthermore, Fig. 1 shows that for a stress concentration factor above about 2,2 the blunt notch behaviour of the prior art laminate ALGLA-2E42 is even more unfavourable than that of a simple solid sheet of 7075-T₆ aluminium alloy. It should be noted that the stress concentration factor K t is calculated in a manner conventional in the art using the formula wherein σ peak = the peak stress in the sheet material at the end of the distortion, which may for instance be in the form of a circular hole or a slot. σ nominal = the tensile stress at the distortion calculated from the tensile strength divided by the remaining (nominal) surface area of the cross-section of the test bar at the distortion. Fig. 2 gives test results showing the influence on the tensile strength of a (sharp) saw-cut crack in the sheet material. In Fig. 2 to this end the nett tensile strength in MPa is plotted on the ordinate and the length of the previously made crack or saw-cut transverse to the direction of drawing is plotted on the abscissa. The shape of the test specimens of sheet material used is also drawn in Fig. 2. The variation in the residual tensile strength or residual strength for test specimens of the laminate according to the invention is illustrated by the line indicated with ALGLA-2S32. The only difference between this laminate and the ALGLA-2S42 laminate described with reference to Fig. 1 consists in that the aluminium sheets in the ALGLA-2S32 laminate each have a thickness of 0,3 mm. The ALGLA-2S32 curve was plotted by constantly repeated tests on the drawn test specimens in which (sharp) saw-cut cracks of a total length 2a of 10 mm, 30 mm, or 60 mm had been made. The curve of the residual strength for test specimens of the prior art laminate is given by the dash line indicated with ALGLA-2E32. The only difference between said laminate and the ALGLA-2E42 laminate described with reference to Fig. 1 consists in that the aluminium sheets in the ALGLA-2E32 laminate each have a thickness of 0,3 mm. In addition, Fig. 2 shows the curve of the residual strength for test specimens of solid sheet material indicated with the line 2024-T₃ for the aluminium-copper alloy of the same designation. As shown in Fig. 2, the ALGLA-2S32 laminate according to the invention displays a more favourable residual strength behaviour in the case of relatively sharp cracks than does the comparable prior art ALGLA-2E32 laminate. Fig. 2 also demonstrates that said residual strength behaviour of the laminate according to the invention is more favourable than that of solid sheet material of copper-aluminium alloy of the AA(USA) 2024-T₃ type. As shown in Fig. 2, the residual strength behaviour of the ALGLA-2S32 laminate according to the invention in particular is relatively favourable in the event of comparatively short saw-cut cracks having a length of the order of 2a = 10 mm. In Fig. 3 the fatigue performance of test specimens of the laminate according to the invention of the ALGLA-2S32 type described earlier is depicted in comparison with that of the earlier described prior art ALGLA-2E32 laminate. The fatigue performance of test specimens of solid sheet material of 2024-T₃ aluminium-copper alloy is also given in Fig. 3. The shape of the test specimens used is also drawn in Fig. 3 and shows that use was made of test specimens in which a (sharp) saw-cut crack of a total length 2a = 3mm had been made. In Fig. 3 the half lengths of the crack are plotted on the ordinate. On the abscissa is plotted the total number of cycles of the used sinusoidally varying tensile fatigue load at constant amplitude. The frequency of the varying load was 10 Hertz. The load varied from a maximum tensile stress σ max = 120 MPa to a minimum tensile stress σ min = 0. Accordingly, the fatigue load used is of the type As demonstrated in Fig. 3, the ALGLA-2S32 laminate according to the invention displays a lower crack propagation rate under the influence of said varying load than does the ALGLA-2E32 prior art laminate. It may therefore be concluded that the fatigue performance of the laminate according to the invention is more favourable than that of the prior art laminate. Both laminates display a far more favourable fatigue performance than does the laminate of solid sheet material of aluminium-copper alloy of the 2024-T₃ type. As in Fig. 3, Figure 4 illustrates the fatigue performance of test specimens of the laminate according to the invention of the earlier-described ALGLA-2S32 type in comparison with the earlier described ALGLA-2E32 prior art laminate, use being made, however, of a somewhat different type of load. The shape of the test specimens used is also drawn in Fig. 4 and shows that use is made of test specimens in which a (sharp) saw-cut crack of a total length 2a = 3mm has been made. In Fig. 4 again the half crack lengths are plotted on the ordinate. On the abscissa is plotted again the total number of cycles of the used varying tensile fatigue load at constant amplitude. In this case the variation in load is not sinusoidal but more or less block shaped, as is shown schematically in Fig. 4. The frequency of this varying load is only 0,02 Hertz. The load varied from a maximum tensile stress σ max = 120 MPa to a minimum tensile stress σ min = 0. The fatigue load used is therefore also of the type. As is also demonstrated in Fig. 4, the ALGLA-2S32 laminate according to the invention displays less crack propagation under the influence of this type of varying load than does the ALGLA-2E32 prior art laminate. Consequently, the fatigue performance of the laminate according to the invention for this type of load is more favourable than that of the prior art laminate. The fatigue load discussed with reference to Fig. 3 and 4 which has a low frequency and occurs particularly in the fuselage of an aircraft, since throughout the flight the interior of an aircraft is subject to a pressure in excess of the outside pressure, the shell plating being subject to a tensile load. After the flight the load on the fuselage drops back to zero. The frequency of the fatigue load on an aircraft fuselage is very low, viz. lower than 0,001 Hertz. Sheets of the laminate according to the invention are for that reason considered extremely suitable to be used as skin sheet or shell plating in the skin of an aircraft pressure cabin. Fig. 5 is a schematic drawing in perspective of an embodiment of the laminate according to the invention generally referred to by the numeral 1. The laminate 1 consists of two metal sheets 2 with in between them a prepreg 3 composed of a synthetic layer reinforced with a very large number of parallel or unidirectional threads or filaments 4 of glass. The synthetic layer 3 may be made up of a core layer of plastics-impregnated filaments 5 and on either side of it a boundary layer 6 intimately attached to the metal sheets 2, the boundary layers containing virtually no filaments. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a laminate 1 according to the invention, which differs from the laminate according to Fig. 5 only in that it is composed of three metal sheets 2 with in between them two synthetic layers 3 reinforced with parallel glass filaments 4. The manufacture of the laminate according to the invention shown in Fig. 5 first of all comprised the superimposition, on a movable support, of two identical metal sheets of an appropriate aluminium alloy with interposition of said prepreg, which may for instance be composed of a large number of parallel (unidirectional) continuous glass filaments impregnated with a thermosetting synthetic material based on epoxy resin. While on the support, the resulting laminate of loose parallel parts, viz. two metal sheets with in between them the prepreg, was covered with a film. Next, the laminate wrapped in film and still consisting of loose parts was compressed externally by creating a vacuum inside the wrapping of the laminate. The wrapped laminate along with its moveable support was then placed in an autoclave. After the autoclave had been closed, the laminate in it was subjected to an air pressure of 4 bar and the temperature was increased to 120°C. After a 66 minutes stay in the autoclave the laminate was finished and it was removed from the autoclave. Optionally, the cooled laminate may also be pre-stressed in the manner described earlier, such that in the metal sheets of the laminate in its externally entirely unloaded state there prevails a compressive stress and in the filaments a tensile stress. Before being attached to the prepreg, the metal sheets should of course be subjected to various appropriate pre-treatments, such as alkaline degreasing, etching in a chromic-sulphuric acid bath, anodizing in chromic acid or phosphoric acid, application of a primer appropriate to the type of synthetic material used, e.g. on a basis of epoxy phenol and having corrosion inhibiting properties, or the like. The term tensile strength of the glass filaments used in the description invariably refers to the virgin tenacity at tensile load in the longitudinal direction of the filament and measured on a single filament containing no adhesives, i.e. a virgin filament, the measurements being carried out in accordance with ASTM NO. D3379-75. The modulus of elasticity also has to be determined in accordance with ASTM No. D3379-75. The aforementioned glass transition point T g of said substantially amorphous thermoplastic synthetic materials should be determined employing a dynamic mechanical measuring device of the RDA-700 type of the make Rheometrics, using a frequency of 1 Hertz and a heating rate of 2°C/min. at most. T g is the temperature at which there is a maximum damping modulus G″. The aforementioned crystalline melting point T m of the semi-crystalline thermoplastic synthetic materials is determined by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). This determination is carried out with the DSC-7 type measuring apparatus of Perkin Elmer at a heating rate of 20°C/min. T m is defined here as the peak maximum of the endo-thermical peak in the DSC curve. Within the scope of the invention various changes may be made. Although in the laminates according to the invention it is preferred that use be made of metal sheets having the same thickness, it is in principle also possible for one and the same laminate to contain metal sheets which have two or more thicknesses and are arranged symmetrical or not. As a rule, the thickness of the synthetic layer between two successive metal sheets will be of approximately the same order of magnitude as that of each of the metal sheets. Optionally, the synthetic layer may contain some conventional additions such as fillers. The continuous reinforcing threads or filaments in the synthetic layers may extend parallel to each other in one direction, i.e., they may be arranged unidirectional. Alternatively, there may be applied two groups of reinforcing filaments. Each group will then comprise a very large number of parallel filaments, the threads or filaments of the one group extending at right angles to the filaments of the other group. Such an arrangement may for instance be realized by providing the filaments of the two groups in the form of a fabric.

Claims: 1. A laminate composed of at least two metal sheets each having a thickness of less than 1.5 mm, more particularly of 0.1 to 0.8 mm, between which there is provided a synthetic layer bonded to the metal sheets, which layer contains continuous glass filaments having a modulus of elasticity greater than 50 GPa and extending parallel to each other in at least one direction, said glass filaments constituting 35-75% by volume of said synthetic material and the glass filaments combined, characterized in that: A. the glass filaments have a modulus of elasticity of 80-100 GPa; B. the glass filaments comprise 58-69% by weight, preferably 60-65% by weight, of SiO₂; C. the glass filaments comprise 18-29% by weight, preferably 20-25% by weight, of Al₂O₃; D. the glass filaments comprise 7-19% by weight, preferably 9-15% by weight, of MgO; E. the metal sheets consist of a material having a tensile strength greater than 0,20 GPa. 2 A laminate according to claim 1, characterized in that the tensile strength of the glass filaments is 4-6 GPa. 3. A laminate according to claim 1, characterized in that the elongation at rupture of the glass filaments is 4-6%. 4. A laminate according to claim 1, characterized in that the number of metal sheets is in the range of 2-20. 5. A laminate according to claim 1, characterized in that the thickness of the synthetic layer between two successive metal sheets is smaller than that of each of the metal sheets. 6. A laminate according to claim 1, characterized in that the synthetic glass filaments-containing layer comprises a thermosetting material. 7. A laminate according to claim 1, characterized in that the synthetic layer comprises a thermoplastic synthetic material. 8. A laminate according to claim 1, characterized in that the metal sheets are of a metal selected from the following group of materials: aluminium alloys, more particularly aluminium-copper alloys, such as those of the AA(USA) No. 2024 type, or aluminium-zinc alloys, such as those of the AA(USA) No. 7075 type, steel, titanium alloys, copper, copper alloys and magnesium alloys. 9. An aircraft fuselage, characterized in that the skin sheet is composed of the laminate according to claim 1.

Inventors: ROEBROEKS, GERARDUS HUBERTUS JOANNES JOSEPH, VOGELESANG, LAURENS BOUDEWIJN
Applicants: AKZO N.V.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B32B15
IPC codes: B64C1, B32B15, C03C13