Patents by Inventor Alfred P. Haro

Alfred P. Haro has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240093003
    Abstract: This invention relates to a flame retardant fiber-reinforced composite material based on an epoxy resin composition which includes at least one epoxy resin having an epoxy functionality of at least 2 as well as at least one organic phosphinic acid or derivative thereof (e.g., an organic phosphinic acid-modified epoxy resin), reinforced with a fiber having a thermal conductivity?3 W/m·K at room temperature, as well as a prepreg for making such a flame retardant fiber-reinforced composite material. More specifically, a composite material is provided that contains a combination of particular types of epoxy resins, curatives, and reinforcing fibers that provide sufficient flame retardance for thin-ply laminates when cured at 163° C. for 15 minutes. These cured composites are also suitable for a variety of applications requiring flame retardancy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Katrina P. Vizzini, Benjamin Lehman, Jonathan Hughes, Alfred P. Haro, Toshiya Kamae
  • Publication number: 20240043636
    Abstract: A prepreg is provided. The prepreg includes sizing agent-coated carbon fibers and a thermosetting resin composition (B) impregnated between the sizing agent-coated carbon fibers. The sizing agent includes a reactive component (A) having at least three reactive groups per molecule: (i) two or more first functional groups capable of reacting with the thermosetting resin composition (B), and (ii) at least one second functional group different from the two or more first functional groups (i). The second functional group includes at least one of amide, imide, urethane, urea, carbonyl, ester, sulfonyl, aromatic ring, or combinations thereof. The thermosetting resin composition (B) includes at least one thermosetting resin other than an epoxy resin and has a glass transition temperature of 220° C. or more after being cured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: Toray Composite Materials America, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfred P. Haro, Jonathan C. Hughes, Naoki Matsuura, Jeffrey P. Sitthi, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Toshiya Kamae
  • Publication number: 20240010805
    Abstract: A fiber reinforced prepreg comprising reinforcement fibers; particles (D1) and (D2); and a thermosetting resin composition is provided. The resin includes maleimide compound (A), and co-monomer (B). Co-monomer (B) has least one of an alkenylphenol, an alkenylphenoxy, or a diamine group. Particles (D1) are smaller than (D2) and particles (D1) and (D2) are insoluble in the thermosetting resin. Particles (D1) range in diameter from 1 to 10 microns and have a mode on a volume basis from 3 to 6 microns and are present from 3 to 12 percent by volume of the thermosetting resin. Particles (D2) range from 10 to 100 microns diameter and a mode of 20 to 60 microns and are present from 1 to 6 percent by volume of the thermosetting resin composition. After cure, at least 90% by volume of particles (D1) and (D2) remain in the prepreg interlayers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicant: Toray Composite Materials America, Inc.
    Inventors: Madelyn Milligan, Jonathan C. Hughes, Alfred P. Haro, Toshiya Kamae, Naoki Matsuura, Koji Furukawa
  • Patent number: 11565497
    Abstract: A laminate body is provided which contains a thin prepreg having a component (A) containing a matrix of reinforcing fiber, a component (B) containing a thermosetting resin, and a component (C) containing particles of a thermoplastic resin. When molded and cured out of autoclave, the laminate body achieves a fiber-reinforced composite having a low void ratio and providing excellent mechanical performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Alfred P. Haro, Nobuyuki Arai, Andrew Hideo Koyanagi
  • Publication number: 20210371612
    Abstract: The void content of a cured fiber-reinforced composite material is advantageously reduced, particularly when the composite material article is large in size or fabricated using an out-of-autoclave procedure, by using prepreg sheets impregnated with a thermosettable resin composition containing thermoplastic particles and modified to have one or more characteristics such as a certain level of average surface roughness. Such characteristics may be imparted to the prepreg sheet by, for example, conditioning the prepreg sheet by subjecting it to vacuum conditions in advance of being consolidated and cured as part of a prepreg stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Hideo Koyanagi, Alfred P. Haro, Nobuyuki Arai
  • Patent number: 11028244
    Abstract: A permeable laminate body containing at least one partially impregnated prepreg which includes at least component (A) containing a matrix of reinforcing fiber, component (B) containing a thermosetting resin, and, optionally, component (C) containing a particle or a fiber of a thermoplastic resin exhibits long out time processability with good storage stability, achieving when molded and cured a fiber reinforced composite having a low void ratio and providing excellent mechanical performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Alfred P. Haro, Nobuyuki Arai
  • Publication number: 20210024712
    Abstract: A laminate body is provided which contains a thin prepreg having a component (A) containing a matrix of reinforcing fiber, a component (B) containing a thermosetting resin, and a component (C) containing particles of a thermoplastic resin. When molded and cured out of autoclave, the laminate body achieves a fiber-reinforced composite having a low void ratio and providing excellent mechanical performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfred P. Haro, Nobuyuki Arai, Andrew Hideo Koyanagi
  • Patent number: 10668647
    Abstract: A prepreg comprising a layer of impregnated reinforcing fibers comprising at least one layer of reinforcing fibers impregnated by a resin composition comprising at least a thermosetting resin, a curing agent and an accelerator, such that the accelerator has a gradient concentration which is more concentrated in the resin composition in the vicinity of the reinforcing fibers than further away. The resin composition comprising a first resin composition impregnates the reinforcing fibers to provide a layer of impregnated reinforcing fibers and a surface layer comprising a second resin composition is formed on the layer of impregnated reinforcing fibers, wherein the first resin composition has at least one peak exotherm occurring at a time earlier than and/or at a temperature lower than any peak exotherm of the second resin composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Felix N. Nguyen, Alfred P. Haro, Bradley R. Fenbert
  • Publication number: 20180355132
    Abstract: A permeable laminate body containing at least one partially impregnated prepreg which includes at least component (A) containing a matrix of reinforcing fiber, component (B) containing a thermosetting resin, and, optionally, component (C) containing a particle or a fiber of a thermoplastic resin exhibits long out time processability with good storage stability, achieving when molded and cured a fiber reinforced composite having a low void ratio and providing excellent mechanical performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Alfred P. Haro, Nobuyuki Arai
  • Publication number: 20180290339
    Abstract: A prepreg comprising a layer of impregnated reinforcing fibers comprising at least one layer of reinforcing fibers impregnated by a resin composition comprising at least a thermosetting resin, a curing agent and an accelerator, such that the accelerator has a gradient concentration which is more concentrated in the resin composition in the vicinity of the reinforcing fibers than further away. The resin composition comprising a first resin composition impregnates the reinforcing fibers to provide a layer of impregnated reinforcing fibers and a surface layer comprising a second resin composition is formed on the layer of impregnated reinforcing fibers, wherein the first resin composition has at least one peak exotherm occurring at a time earlier than and/or at a temperature lower than any peak exotherm of the second resin composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Felix N. Nguyen, Alfred P. Haro, Bradley R. Fenbert
  • Patent number: 9963586
    Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to a prepreg comprising a thermosetting resin, and reinforcing fibers in the thermosetting resin, wherein when the prepreg is cured in vacuum bag only conditions, and a method of making the same. The method also applies for autoclave processing. Embodiments also relate to a cured fiber reinforced composite material made by thermally curing the prepreg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan C Hughes, Jeffrey A Satterwhite, Nobuyuki Arai, Atsuhito Arai, Alfred P Haro, Kenichi Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 9957387
    Abstract: An epoxy resin composition having components (A), (B), (C), and (D), wherein the epoxy resin composition has a viscosity at 40° C. of about 1×103 to about 1×104 Pa·s, a curing start temperature of about 90 to about 110° C., and a minimum viscosity at the curing start temperature of about 2 to about 20 Pa·s, wherein the components (A), (B), (C), and (D) are as follows: (A) About 60 weight parts or more of a tetraglycidyl amine type epoxy resin per 100 weight parts of the epoxy resin blend; (B) Dicyandiamide; (C) Diaminodiphenyl sulfone and (D) Urea compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Arai, Alfred P. Haro, Jonathan C. Hughes, Norimitsu Natsume
  • Patent number: 9688891
    Abstract: A fiber reinforced polymer composition is provided comprising a fiber and an adhesive composition, wherein the adhesive composition comprises at least a thermosetting resin, a curing agent, and a hard interfacial material. When cured, the adhesive composition forms good bonds to the reinforcing fiber, and an interfacial region between the reinforcing fiber and the adhesive composition is formed which comprises the hard interfacial material. Additional embodiments include a prepreg and a method of manufacturing a composite article by curing the adhesive composition and the reinforcing fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Felix N. Nguyen, Kenichi Yoshioka, Swezin Than Tun, Alfred P. Haro
  • Publication number: 20150315430
    Abstract: A fiber reinforced polymer composition is provided comprising a fiber and an adhesive composition, wherein the adhesive composition comprises at least a thermosetting resin, a curing agent, and a hard interfacial material. When cured, the adhesive composition forms good bonds to the reinforcing fiber, and an interfacial region between the reinforcing fiber and the adhesive composition is formed which comprises the hard interfacial material. Additional embodiments include a prepreg and a method of manufacturing a composite article by curing the adhesive composition and the reinforcing fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Felix N. NGUYEN, Kenichi YOSHIOKA, Swezin Than TUN, Alfred P. HARO
  • Publication number: 20150259580
    Abstract: A fiber reinforced polymer composition is disclosed comprising a reinforcing fiber and an adhesive composition, wherein the adhesive composition comprises at least a thermosetting resin, a curing agent, and an interfacial material, the fiber is suitable for concentrating the interfacial material in an interfacial region between the fiber and the adhesive composition upon curing of the adhesive composition, and the cured adhesive has a resin modulus of at least 4.0 GPa. Also provided is a prepreg comprising the fiber reinforced polymer composition and a method of manufacturing a composite article by curing the reinforced polymer composition. The resulting interfacial region, viz., the reinforced interphase, is reinforced by one or more layers of the interfacial material such that substantial improvements in tensile, compression and fracture toughness may be observed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Felix N. Nguyen, Alfred P. Haro, Kenichi Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20150240042
    Abstract: A fiber reinforced polymer composition is provided comprising a fiber and an adhesive composition, wherein the adhesive composition comprises at least a thermosetting resin and a curing agent, the reinforcing fiber has a tensile modulus of at least 300 GPa and the cured adhesive has a resin modulus of at least 3.2 GPa, and the adhesive composition when cured makes good bonds to the reinforcing fiber. Additional embodiments include a prepreg comprising the fiber reinforced polymer composition and a method of manufacturing a composite article by curing the adhesive composition and a reinforcing fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Felix N. Nguyen, Alfred P. Haro, Kenichi Yoshioka, Kenichi Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20140309336
    Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to a prepreg comprising a thermosetting resin, and reinforcing fibers in the thermosetting resin, wherein when the prepreg is cured in vacuum bag only conditions, and a method of making the same. The method also applies for autoclave processing. Embodiments also relate to a cured fiber reinforced composite material made by thermally curing the prepreg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES. INC
    Inventors: Jonathan C Hughes, Jeffrey A Satterwhite, Nobuyuki Arai, Atsuhito Arai, Alfred P Haro, Kenichi Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20140087178
    Abstract: An embodiment relates to a prepreg having a structure comprising a first layer and a second layer, wherein the prepreg comprises component (A) comprising a reinforcing fiber, component (B) comprising a thermosetting resin, and component (C) comprising a particle or a fiber of a thermoplastic resin, the component (C) is substantially locally distributed in the first layer and the prepreg is a partially impregnated prepreg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Arai, Jonathan C. Hughes, Jeffrey A. Satterwhite, Atsuhito Arai, Alfred P. Haro, Kenichi Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20130344325
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include a structure comprising an adherend and an adhesive composition, wherein the adhesive composition comprises at least a thermosetting resin, a curing agent, and an interfacial material, wherein the adherend is suitable for concentrating the interfacial material in an interfacial region between the adherend and the adhesive composition upon curing of the adhesive composition; a method of manufacturing a composite article by curing the adhesive composition and a reinforcing fiber; and a method of manufacturing an adhesive bonded joint comprising applying the adhesive composition to a surface of one of the two or of different kinds the adherend, and curing the adhesive composition to form an adhesive bond between the adherends. The resulting interfacial region, viz., the reinforced interphase, is reinforced by one or more layers of the interfacial material such that substantial improvements in bond strength and fracture toughness are observed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Felix N. Nguyen, Kenichi Yoshioka, Alfred P. Haro, Nobuyuki Arai
  • Publication number: 20130217283
    Abstract: An epoxy resin composition having components (A), (B), (C), and (D), wherein the epoxy resin composition has a viscosity at 40° C. of about 1×103 to about 1×104 Pa·s, a curing start temperature of about 90 to about 110° C., and a minimum viscosity at the curing start temperature of about 2 to about 20 Pa·s, wherein the components (A), (B), (C), and (D) are as follows: (A) About 60 weight parts or more of a tetraglycidyl amine type epoxy resin per 100 weight parts of the epoxy resin blend; (B) Dicyandiamide; (C) Diaminodiphenyl sulfone and (D) Urea compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Arai, Alfred P. Haro, Jonathan C. Hughes, Norimitsu Natsume