Low-Cost Chemically Bonded Ceramic Prototype Tooling for Fabrication of Composites

The proposed investigation will characterize the physical properties of Chemically Bonded Ceramic (CBC) tooling currently being evaluated as production tooling by the automotive and furniture industries for fabricating plastics and molded organic foams. This information will be used to modify the tooling mix compositions to optimize the properties required to successfully form graphite reinforced structures. The optional phase of this project will consist of the production of simple test pieces by an industrial graphite composite structure manufacture to evaluate if further tool property modifications are required and to determine if this type of tooling is suitable for prototype and low-quantity production fabrication of graphite composite structures. Some of the advantages of CerCon's tooling is that it is relatively low-cost (< $100/ft2), it can be formulated to have a thermal expansion similar to that of graphite reinforced composite structures, it has a maximum use temperature of at least 400 degrees C and can have "Teflon" incorporated into its structure to promote its abrasion, chemical and release properties. In addition it is composed entirely of inert ceramic materials and common polymers and therefore does not create the environmental problems (organic vapors and hazardous disposal) associated with the resin based systems currently being used.