Method of producing a 3d textile structure and semi-finished fiber product made of fiber composites

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) textile structure with contours that are matched to the 3D textile structure is formed by folding a 2D textile structure. The three-dimensional textile structure has a areal weight of 100-5000 g/m 2 . A semi-finished three-dimensional fiber product is formed by infiltrating the 3D textile structure with thermosetting and/or thermoplastic resins and cured to form the three-dimensional semi-finished fiber product. The semi-finished product is then usable to produce leaf springs or profiles for the aerospace field, for the automobile field, for wind energy, and for sports articles.

1 . A method for producing a 3D textile structure, the method which comprises providing a 2D textile structure and forming the 3D textile structure having contours matched to the 3D textile structure by folding the 2D textile structure. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the contours are one or both of tracks or knitting patterns. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the folding step comprises folding in a concertina manner. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , which comprises forming the 2D textile structure with fold-assisting gaps to assist constructing the semi-finished fiber product to the shape close to the final contour. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the 2D textile structure is selected from the group consisting of scrim, woven fabric, networks, knitwear, felts, nonwovens, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the 2D textile structures are selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, ceramic fibers, polymer fibers, metal fibers or mixtures and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein at least one fiber layer consists of more than 70 wt. % of fibers selected from carbon fibers, precursor fibers of carbon fibers, ceramic fibers and mixtures thereof, relative to a total weight of the respective fiber layer. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the at least one fiber layer consists of more than 87 wt. % of the selected fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one fiber layer consists of more than 98 wt. % of the selected fibers. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the textile structure consists of at least 50% of fibers in a principal direction of loading of the three-dimensional semi-finished fiber product to be produced. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , which comprises coating or impregnating the textile structure with a matrix system or with a plurality of matrix systems. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein a content of the matrix system for coating and/or impregnating the two-dimensional textile structure ranges from 0% to 70%. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the textile structure contains soluble polymers. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , which comprises transforming the textile structure into a three-dimensional semi-finished fiber product by applying strengthening methods selected from the group of chemical, physical, and mechanical strengthening methods. 
     
     
         15 . A three-dimensional textile structure, comprising a 3D structure formed from a 2D textile structure having contours matched to the 3D textile structure by folding the 2D textile, wherein the 3D structure has a weight per unit area of 100-5000 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         16 . The three-dimensional textile structure according to  claim 15 , wherein the weight of the 3D structure is 500-2300 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         17 . The three-dimensional textile structure according to  claim 15 , wherein the weight per unit area is locally adapted by selectively reducing or increasing an amount of fiber in the two-dimensional fiber structure or by a separate process step. 
     
     
         18 . A semi-finished three-dimensional fiber product, comprising a 3D structure manufactured by the method according to  claim 1 , infiltrated with thermosetting and/or thermoplastic resins and cured to form the three-dimensional semi-finished fiber product. 
     
     
         19 . The semi-finished three-dimensional fiber product according to  claim 15  configured for producing leaf springs or profiles for the aerospace field, for the automobile field, for wind energy, and for sports articles. 
     
     
         20 . The three-dimensional textile structure according to  claim 15 , wherein the two dimensional structure is already adapted to the shape of the three-dimensional semi-finished fiber product close to the final contour.