Laminated carbon foam sandwich for naval decking
View Patent ↗A laminate sandwich structure useful for, inter alia, decking for naval vessels, which includes a core formed of carbon foam having a ratio of compressive strength to density of at least about 7000 psi/g/cc.
1. A laminate sandwich structure comprising a core which comprises carbon foam having two opposed major surfaces and a ratio of compressive strength to density of at least about 7000 psi/g/cc, wherein at least about 90% of the pore volume of the pores of the carbon foam has a diameter of between about 10 and about 150 microns and at least about 1% of the pore volume of the pores has a diameter of between about 0.8 and about 3.5 microns.
2. The structure of claim 1 which further comprises a plurality of pins disposed through the core.
3. The structure of claim 2 which further comprises a facesheet positioned on at least one of the major surfaces of the core.
4. The structure of claim 3 wherein the facesheet comprises a composite formed of an array of fibers in a resin matrix.
5. The structure of claim 3 wherein the ends of a plurality of the pins is bent over so as to lie between the respective major surfaces of the core and a facesheet.
6. The structure of claim 1 wherein the carbon foam has a ratio of compressive strength to density of at least about 8000 psi/g/cc.
7. The structure of claim 6 wherein the carbon foam has a density of from about 0.05 to about 0.4 and a compressive strength of at least about 2000 psi.
8. The structure of claim 7 wherein the carbon foam has a porosity of between about 65% and about 95%.
9. The structure of claim 8 wherein the pores of the carbon foam have, on average, an aspect ratio of between about 1.0 and about 1.5.
10. The structure of claim 1 wherein at least about 95% of the pore volume of the pores has a diameter of between about 25 and about 95 microns.
11. The structure of claim 1 wherein from about 2% to about 10% of the pore volume of the pores has a diameter of about 1 to about 2 microns.
12. The structure of claim 1 wherein the foam has a permeability of no greater than about 3.0 darcys.
13. A laminate sandwich structure comprising a carbon foam core having two opposed major surfaces and having a pore distribution such that at least about 90% of the pore volume of the pores has a diameter of between about 10 and about 150 microns and at least about 1% of the pore volume of the pores has a diameter of between about 0.8 and about 3.5 microns, wherein the structure further comprises a facesheet positioned on at least one of the major surfaces of the core.
14. The structure of claim 13 which further comprises a plurality of pins disposed through the core.
15. The structure of claim 13 wherein the facesheet comprises a composite formed of an array of fibers in a resin matrix.
16. The structure of claim 13 wherein the ends of a plurality of the pins is bent over so as to lie between the respective major surfaces of the core and a facesheet.
17. The structure of claim 13 wherein at least about 95% of the pore volume of the pores of the foam has a diameter of between about 25 and about 95 microns.
18. The structure of claim 17 wherein from about 2% to about 10% of the pore volume of the pores has a diameter of about 1 to about 2 microns.
19. The structure of claim 13 wherein the carbon foam has a ratio of compressive strength to density of at least about 7000 psi/g/cc.
20. The structure of claim 19 wherein the carbon foam has a ratio of compressive strength to density of at least about 8000 psi/g/cc.
21. The structure of claim 20 wherein the carbon foam has a density of from about 0.05 to about 0.4 and a compressive strength of at least about 2000 psi.
22. The structure of claim 13 wherein the carbon foam has a porosity of between about 65% and about 95%.
23. The structure of claim 22 wherein the pores of the carbon foam have, on average, an aspect ratio of between about 1.0 and about 1.5.
24. The structure of claim 13 wherein the carbon foam has a permeability of no greater than about 3.0 darcys.