Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H3/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of yarns or like filamentary material of substantial length
  • D04H3/08—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of yarns or like filamentary material of substantial length characterised by the method of strengthening or consolidating
  • D04H3/12—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of yarns or like filamentary material of substantial length characterised by the method of strengthening or consolidating with filaments or yarns secured together by chemical or thermo-activatable bonding agents, e.g. adhesives, applied or incorporated in liquid or solid form
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
  • B29C70/04—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts comprising reinforcements only, e.g. self-reinforcing plastics
  • B29C70/28—Shaping operations therefor
  • B29C70/40—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied
  • B29C70/42—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
  • B29C70/46—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
  • B29C70/465—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs and impregnating by melting a solid material, e.g. sheets, powders of fibres
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
  • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
  • B32B27/00—Layered products comprising a layer of synthetic resin
  • B32B27/32—Layered products comprising a layer of synthetic resin comprising polyolefins
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D02—YARNS; MECHANICAL FINISHING OF YARNS OR ROPES; WARPING OR BEAMING
  • D02J—FINISHING OR DRESSING OF FILAMENTS, YARNS, THREADS, CORDS, ROPES OR THE LIKE
  • D02J1/00—Modifying the structure or properties resulting from a particular structure; Modifying, retaining, or restoring the physical form or cross-sectional shape, e.g. by use of dies or squeeze rollers
  • D02J1/18—Separating or spreading
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H3/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of yarns or like filamentary material of substantial length
  • D04H3/02—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of yarns or like filamentary material of substantial length characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of yarns or filaments
  • D04H3/04—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of yarns or like filamentary material of substantial length characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of yarns or filaments in rectilinear paths, e.g. crossing at right angles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29K—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR MOULDS, REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
  • B29K2023/00—Use of polyalkenes or derivatives thereof as moulding material
  • B29K2023/04—Polymers of ethylene
  • B29K2023/06—PE, i.e. polyethylene
  • B29K2023/0658—PE, i.e. polyethylene characterised by its molecular weight
  • B29K2023/0683—UHMWPE, i.e. ultra high molecular weight polyethylene
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T442/00—Fabric [woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.]
  • Y10T442/20—Coated or impregnated woven, knit, or nonwoven fabric which is not [a] associated with another preformed layer or fiber layer or, [b] with respect to woven and knit, characterized, respectively, by a particular or differential weave or knit, wherein the coating or impregnation is neither a foamed material nor a free metal or alloy layer
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T442/00—Fabric [woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.]
  • Y10T442/30—Woven fabric [i.e., woven strand or strip material]
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T442/00—Fabric [woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.]
  • Y10T442/60—Nonwoven fabric [i.e., nonwoven strand or fiber material]
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T442/00—Fabric [woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.]
  • Y10T442/60—Nonwoven fabric [i.e., nonwoven strand or fiber material]
  • Y10T442/643—Including parallel strand or fiber material within the nonwoven fabric
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T442/00—Fabric [woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.]
  • Y10T442/60—Nonwoven fabric [i.e., nonwoven strand or fiber material]
  • Y10T442/643—Including parallel strand or fiber material within the nonwoven fabric
  • Y10T442/644—Parallel strand or fiber material is glass

Definitions

• This invention relates generally to the art of composite materials, more particularly to composite materials comprising thermoplastics and high strength fibers.
• thermoplastics are plastics that are made by heating resin pellets or powders (the raw material) until they melt, molding the material to a desired shape, and then resolidifying the material through a cooling process. Because the chemistry of the plastic does not change, this process can be performed multiple times. In other words, thermoplastics can be reprocessed or recycled with additional heating and cooling. Additionally, the manufacturing process for thermoplastic products can be as quick as the heating, molding, and cooling processes can occur (e.g. seconds). Hence thermoplastics have the manufacturing advantages of rapid processing and multi-step manufacturing, both of which can translate and have translated to significant benefits and cost savings.
• thermoplastics are polyethylene “PE”, polypropylene “PP”, polyamide “PA” (more commonly known as nylon) and polyethylene terepthalate “PET” (more commonly known as polyester) .
• Products made from such thermoplastics are very diverse, for example, toys, rope, clothing and bottles. Melt temperatures for most thermoplastics fall between 125 °C and 300 °C. In their softened or partially melted state thermoplastics flow under pressure and thus can be shaped by processes such as injection molding, blow molding and extrusion. Thermoplastics have many excellent qualities. Metals, however, generally have much higher strength and stiffness than thermoplastics.
• thermoplastic resins with short high strength fibers results in a product with substantially increased strength and/or stiffness. Often higher temperature properties are also improved. This mixing is done either before melting the thermoplastic resin or as the thermoplastic resin is melted but in either case before forming the product by extrusion or injection molding, as disclosed for example in US Patent 3,577,378.
• Types of fiber commonly used for this purpose may be glass, carbon, aramid or other materials which have suitably high strength and/or stiffness and melt temperatures above the thermoplastic of choice. These materials are sometimes referred to as short fiber composites or more commonly fiber reinforced plastics "FRP". Such FRP materials typically comprise 10 to 30 percent fiber by weight with the balance being the thermoplastic of choice.
• the fibers are typically .1 to 5 mm in length.
• the use of higher percentages of fiber and/or longer fibers is typically avoided because of difficulties achieving good flow of the mixture and good uniform dispersion and distribution of the fibers, unacceptable accumulation of the fibers in the nozzle of the injection molding equipment, and unacceptable reduction in toughness and impact strength in the product.
• FRP thermoplastics typically have tensile and/or flexural strength and stiffness up to 5 times greater than the same thermoplastic without the reinforcing fibers.
• Patent 3,577,378 teaches that the added tensile and flexural strength and stiffness is due to the high strength and stiffness of the fibers coupled with the excellent mixing and distribution of the fibers in the polymer and the ease with which the molten FRP material flows in the extruder and injection mold. There is possibly, however, a characteristic loss of impact strength in the short fiber FRP product compared with the unreinforced thermoplastic product as reported with respect to polycarbonate in U.S. Patent 3,577,378. A more current example of the enhanced strength and stiffness properties of FRP comes from Victrex pic, headquartered at Hillhouse International in Lancashire, UK.
• Victrex is the world' s largest producer of certain high performance high temperature engineered thermoplastics, in particular polyetheretherketone (PEEK) .
• PEEK polyetheretherketone
• Published Victrex data for unreinforced "150G” PEEK and 30% short carbon fiber reinforced "150CA30" PEEK is indicative of the difference in properties that successful introduction of short fibers can produce, as illustrated in Figure 1.
• This data is excerpted from Victrex USA Inc. publication 1100/2.5m titled PEEK Material Properties Guide. Both materials are suitable for extrusion and injection molding. Engineers and designers, however, continue to seek materials which have strength and stiffness that exceed conventional FRP short fiber thermoplastics and that also have strength to weight and stiffness to weight ratios that are higher than those of metals.
• thermoplastic composites have been produced with continuous fibers and with fiber content as high as 70%. These materials generally have much higher strength and/or stiffness than short fiber FRP materials. In fact these composites exhibit strength and/or stiffness comparable and in many cases superior to metals, including steel. Also, generally, the density of these materials is much lower than metals. Hence their strength to weight and stiffness to weight ratios are much higher than metals, including steel.
• US Patent 4,680,224 discloses a preferred method for producing such continuous fiber thermoplastic composites. This APC-2 thermoplastic composite manufactured by Cytec Engineering Materials, a division of Cytec, Inc. It is made with continuous unidirectional AS4 carbon fiber and PEEK thermoplastic resin.
• Figure 2 depicts selected mechanical properties at room temperature of APC-2.
• the fiber content in this composite is 68% by weight.
• the strength in the fiber direction is 9 times greater than the 150CA30 short fiber PEEK FRP and more than 20 time greater than the unreinforced 150 PEEK.
• the strength and stiffness perpendicular to the fibers is however, much lower.
• the tensile strength perpendicular to the fibers is approximately the same as the unreinforced resin while the stiffness perpendicular to the fibers is about double the unreinforced resin.
• thermoplastic resin has a linear polyethylene structure just like high density polyethylene but its molecules are exceptionally large, having a molecular weight of from 2 to 6 million daltons .
• the typical procedure is to fill a form or mold with UHMW PE in powder form and then apply heat and pressure to remove the air between the particles and to force the particles to soften and deform and fuse into a single mass. This ideally results in an essentially void free solid although microscopic porosity will still exist. In some special cases a lower pressure is used specifically to produce a porous structure. This porous solid form of UHMW PE is sometimes used for filtration. These processes do not require the UHMW PE to flow. Desiring reinforced products of UHMW PE, many individuals have sought ways to successfully add short fibers to UHMW PE. U.S.
• Patents 4,055,862, 5,622,767 and 5,620,770 disclose successful methods for making such "FRP" materials with UHMW PE and carbon fibers without requiring the UHMW PE or the fibers to flow wherein the carbon fibers may be up to 8 mm long. These patents disclose methods that are essentially the same as the method described above for making unreinforced UHMW PE materials. In these "compression molding like” or “sintering like” methods the short carbon fibers are mechanically mixed with the particles of UHMW PE powder prior to introducing the mixture to the form or mold, and prior to melting the UHMW PE.
• the invention relates to a composite material of continuous fibers and ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, the composite material comprising ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, and continuous high strength fibers, wherein the ultra high molecular weight polyethylene forms a continuous matrix among and surrounding the fibers .
• the invention relates to a composite material of continuous fibers and ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, the composite material comprising ultra high molecular weight polyethylene; continuous high strength fibers, wherein the ultra high molecular weight polyethylene forms a continuous matrix among and surrounding the fibers; and at least one additive or filler.
• the invention also relates to a method of manufacturing an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene composite, the method comprising selecting unidirectional and continuous high strength fibers; impregnating the fibers with ultra high molecular weight polyethylene in a fine powder to form a composite; optionally adding additives or fibers to the composite; and forming a continuous matrix of the ultra high molecular weight polyethylene surrounding the fibers.
• UHMW PE ultra high molecular weight polyethylene
• Another object of the invention is to improve strength and stiffness in the fiber direction as well as thermal and electrical conductivity when a highly conductive fiber is employed. It is yet another object of the invention to provide a composite that exhibits many of the outstanding characteristics of unreinforced UHMW PE, such as excellent abrasion resistance, low coefficient of friction and high PV.
• Figure 1 is a data table listing the properties of the prior art composites, as presented by Victrex USA Inc.
• Figure 2 is a data table listing the properties of the prior art unreinforced and reinforced composites, as manufactured by Cytec Engineering Materials.
• Figure 3 is a data table listing the properties of the prior art unreinforced composite, as manufactured by Ticona Engineering Polymers .
• Continuous fibers are well known in the art as fibers extending to a length of several feet or meters that maintain its structural strength continuously throughout the fiber when the fiber is stretched.
• the composite could also be highly conductive or highly resistive, both electrically and thermally, or able to absorb great amounts of energy at high speed impact.
• UHMW PE ultra high density polyethylene
• all known methods of making continuous fiber thermoplastics require flow under pressure such as through film stacking methods as practiced by Ten Cate and Bond Laminates or pultrusion type methods practiced by others, including the pultrusion type method disclosed in U.S.
• Patent 4,680,224 In this invention, a slurry of UHMW PE powder, such as GUR 2126 made by Ticona Engineering Polymers, a division of the Celanese Corporation, having a molecular weight of approximately 2,500,000 daltons, and water is impregnated into a web of unidirectional fibers, such as AS4C carbon fibers made by Hexcel.
• Figure 3 depicts selected physical properties of unreinforced GUR 2126 UHMW PE, as published by Ticona. The web impregnated with UHMW PE powder and water is then passed through a dryer to remove the water.
• the web impregnated with loose dry UHMW PE powder is heated and tensioned in such a way as to cause the UHMW PE to melt and fuse into a solid band under essentially no external pressure greater than atmospheric pressure.
• the solid band then is then pulled through a heated die to reform it into the desired cross sectional shape.
• This method requires no flow of the UHMW PE under high pressure and therefore the UHMW PE is not degraded by shearing.
• the resultant continuous fiber UHMW PE composite produced using this method may be made in almost any cross sectional shape such as flat ribbon, sheet, flat bar, round, square, triangle, channel, angle, I-beam, etc.
• the composite of the chosen cross sectional shape may then be cut into lengths or coiled for shipment and/or further fabrication depending on its shape, thickness, stiffness, customer preference or other considerations .
• the impregnation of the web of fibers with a slurry of UHMW PE powder and water may be replaced by impregnation of the web with dry UHMW PE powder in a fluidized bed.
• the fluid in the fluidized bed may be any suitable gas, such as air.
• thermoplastic composites may be used to make subsequent forms of the materials, parts or structures, such as slitting, pelletizing, weaving, laminating, tape placement, thermoforming, table rolling, compression molding, bladder molding, machining, ultrasonic welding, etc. for any number of end use products.
• the continuous unidirectional fibers may be replaced by woven continuous fibers or randomly oriented continuous fibers, for example a felt or matted fabric of random fibers. It should be noted that the strength and stiffness of the reinforced UHMW PE in the fiber direction are dramatically higher than the unreinforced UHMW PE, as are the thermal and electrical conductivity.
• the PV (sliding bearing capacity) of the reinforced UHMW PE is also significantly improved with the continuous fiber as is thermal expansion.
• the composite maintains the low coefficient of friction and the exceptional abrasion resistance of UHMW PE.
• the only loss of property of the composite relative to the unreinforced UHMW PE is in impact strength. This is typical of virtually all fiber reinforced thermoplastics; however the impact strength of reinforced UHMW PE is significantly higher than most other fiber reinforced thermoplastics.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Composite Materials (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Compositions Of Macromolecular Compounds (AREA)
• Reinforced Plastic Materials (AREA)

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• 2005
  • 2005-06-09 EP EP20050760353 patent/EP1759043A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-06-09 CA CA 2569596 patent/CA2569596A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-06-09 US US11/148,810 patent/US20050287891A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-06-09 WO PCT/US2005/020307 patent/WO2005123999A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation

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