Phosphazene polymer containing composites and method for making phosphazene polymer containing composites

Abstract

A composite is produced by first coating a reinforcing material with an inorganic phosphazene compound and then polymerizing the phosphazene compound so as to confer superior thermal, physical and chemical resistance qualities to the composite.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed is defined as follows: 
     
       1. A composite material comprising: a single constituent fibrous reinforcing material; and   a phosphazene compound; said phosphazene compound coating said single constituent fibrous reinforcing material to form the composite material whereby to impart predetermined thermal, physical and chemical resistance to the composite material.   
     
     
       2. A composite material as recited in claim 1 wherein the single constituent fibrous reinforcing material is selected from the group consisting of glass, carbon, and oxynitride fibers. 
     
     
       3. A composite material as recited in claim 1 wherein the phosphazene compound is selected from the group consisting of linear polyphosphazene, cyclolinear polyphosphazene, cyclomatrix polyphosphazene, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       4. A composite material as recited in claim 1 wherein the phosphazene compound has the chemical formula: ##STR4## where R is a difunctional side group selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups, aryl groups, aryloxy groups, alkoxy groups, primary amine groups, secondary amine groups, mercapto groups, and combinations thereof; and n is an integer greater than 1. 
     
     
       5. A composite material as recited in claim 1 wherein the composite material contains between 50 and 80 percent by weight of single constituent reinforcing fibrous material to the total weight of the composite material. 
     
     
       6. A composite material as recited in claim 1 wherein the composite material contains between 55 percent and 65 percent by weight of single constituent fibrous reinforcing material to total weight of the composite material. 
     
     
       7. A composite material comprising: a graphite fiber; and   hexa-p-hydroxyphenoxycyclotriphosphazene; said hexa-p-hydroxyphenoxycyclotriphosphazene coating said graphite fiber to form the composite material whereby to impart predetermined thermal, physical and chemical resistance to the resulting composite material, and said graphite fiber comprises 55 weight percent to 70 weight percent of the composite material.