TWI807613B - A method for non-linear-shape carbon fiber and the product thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The prevent invention reveals a method for non-linear-shape carbon fiber with the steps comprising of: forming a carbon fiber prepreg sheet by laminating a plurality of continuous carbon fiber sheets, wherein the plurality of continuous carbon fibers are impregnated in a thermoplastic resin; forming the carbon fiber prepreg sheet to become a non-linear-shape prepreg carbon fiber frame; applying a pressure and a heat to form the carbon fiber prepreg sheet as non-linear-shape; and cooling the prepreg carbon fiber sheet to maintain the non-linear-shape.

Description

Manufacturing method and finished product of non-linear carbon fiber composite material

A carbon fiber manufacturing method, in particular a non-linear carbon fiber composite material manufacturing method and its finished product.

Carbon fiber has become a popular application material in various fields because of its high temperature resistance, high tensile strength, corrosion resistance, impact resistance, electrical and thermal conductivity, and small size and light weight. In order to improve the rigidity of a carbon fiber product, most of the current manufacturing processes use multiple layers of carbon fiber prepreg impregnated with a thermosetting resin, and after a pressure and a heating temperature such as a mold or a hot press, the multiple layers of carbon fiber prepreg are solidified and formed.

However, the described process is only applicable to the carbon fiber products in the form of plates or strips, and is not suitable for making the carbon fiber products with a curved or tubular structure, and because of the technical defect that the carbon fiber products cannot be processed after solidification, the scope and field of application of the carbon fibers are limited. In view of this, developing a method for the carbon fiber product that can have a curved or tubular structure is a difficult problem that the relevant industries are eager to overcome.

In order to develop a method for the carbon fiber product that can have a curved or tubular structure, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a non-linear carbon fiber composite material, the steps of which include: Lamination and attachment of several continuous carbon fiber prepregs: laminate a plurality of continuous carbon fiber prepregs layer by layer to form a carbon fiber prepreg sheet, and the continuous carbon fiber prepregs are impregnated in a thermoplastic resin; Concave the carbon fiber prepreg body: Concave the carbon fiber prepreg body with a relatively long side of the carbon fiber prepreg body, so that the two ends of the carbon fiber prepreg body can approach each other, and form a carbon fiber prepreg non-linear body; Curing the carbon fiber prepreg non-linear body: applying a pressure and a heating temperature to fuse the thermoplastic resin at both ends of the carbon fiber prepreg sheet and combine them through the pressure. After a cooling process, the carbon fiber prepreg non-linear body is solidified and shaped to form a carbon fiber non-linear product.

Wherein, the carbon fiber prepreg sheet is a rectangular sheet body, and the carbon fiber prepreg sheet body forms a radian structure along the direction of the relatively short sides.

Wherein, a plurality of the continuous carbon fiber prepreg laminates are attached to a mold, the mold is a rectangular piece, and one of the short sides of the mold includes the arc structure, and the mold is made of a flexible material.

Wherein, the mold is a soft metal sheet or a thermoplastic plastic sheet.

Further, a pressure is provided to tightly compact the carbon fiber prepreg sheet.

Further, a hot pressing technique is used to provide pressure and the heating temperature to the carbon fiber prepreg nonlinear body, or place the carbon fiber prepreg nonlinear body in a forming mold and apply the pressure and the heating temperature.

Further, the thermoplastic resin may be selected from one of nylon, polypropylene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyethersulfone, polyphenylene ether, polyetheretherketone or polyphenylene sulfide.

The present invention further provides a first embodiment of a non-linear carbon fiber composite material product, comprising a first non-linear product and a second non-linear product produced by the above-mentioned method, and the first non-linear product or the second non-linear product forms a curved structure along a direction of a relatively short side, the two long sides of the first non-linear product are respectively melted and bonded by the two long sides of the second non-linear product through a pressing force and a heating temperature, and finally an integrally formed non-linear pipe product is formed through a cooling process.

The present invention further provides a second embodiment of a non-linear carbon fiber composite material product, comprising an inner non-linear product and an outer non-linear product manufactured by the aforementioned method, the inner non-linear product and the outer non-linear product are formed with a radian structure along a direction of a relatively short side, and the inner non-linear product and the outer non-linear product respectively form a carbon fiber prepreg nonlinear body with an inner ring concave surface and an outer ring concave surface facing outward.

Wherein, the inner diameter of an outer ring formed by the outer non-linear product is larger than the inner diameter of an inner ring formed by the inner non-linear product, and the outer non-linear product has a convex surface of the outer ring extending along a length direction to abut against the concave surface of the inner ring of the inner non-linear product, and a pressure and a heating temperature are used to melt and combine the concave surface of the inner ring and the convex surface of the outer ring to form an integral bicycle wheel frame after cooling.

Further, the structure of the bicycle wheel frame is reinforced by applying heat and pressure to the continuous carbon fiber prepreg. The reinforcement method is to form a fixing rib protruding outward along the length direction at the position where the concave surface of the inner ring and the convex surface of the outer ring abut against each other, or to apply heat and pressure to at least a part of the inner non-linear product. The continuous carbon fiber prepreg is attached.

The non-linear carbon fiber production method provided by the present invention is low in cost and simple in steps. By first forming the carbon fiber prepreg body and then undergoing concave and fixed molding, the carbon fiber non-linear product can be completed simply, quickly and without time-consuming. It overcomes the problem that the traditional carbon fiber forming technology is not suitable for making curved or tubular structures, and can also help strengthen the overall structural rigidity of the carbon fiber non-linear product. Due to the direct combination with the mold, the overall structural rigidity of the carbon fiber non-linear product is strengthened, so that it can be applied to curved shapes such as wheel frames. Or the production of non-linear products has greatly expanded the development and application fields of carbon fiber technology.

Please refer to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2C, which are the non-linear carbon fiber composite material manufacturing method and the finished product provided by the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the steps include:

Step S1 , laminating and attaching a plurality of continuous carbon fiber prepregs 10 : stacking a plurality of continuous carbon fiber prepregs 10 layer by layer to form a carbon fiber prepreg sheet 20 . Wherein, the continuous carbon fiber prepreg 10 is impregnated in a thermoplastic resin. Since the plurality of continuous carbon fiber prepreg 10 is formed by impregnating the thermoplastic resin, the continuous carbon fibers between the layers can be attached to each other and are not easy to move and deform. The thermoplastic resin can be selected from polyoxymethylene (POM), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polysulfide (PSU), polyethersulfide (PES), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), aromatic polyester liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyetherimide (PEI), polyamideimide (PAI), polyacetal (POM), nylon (PA), polycarbonate Polyester (PC), Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polyphenylene Ether (PPE), Styrene Acrylic Adhesive Acrylonitrile (ASA), Polystyrene (PS), Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA), Styrene Copolymer (MS), Cellulose Acetate (CA), Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), Thermoplastic Polyester Elastomer (TPEE), Styrene Elastomer (TPS), Nylon 12, Elastomer (PAE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), vinylon (vinylon), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Preferably, as shown in FIG. 2B, the carbon fiber prepreg 20 is a rectangular sheet, and the carbon fiber prepreg 20 forms a relatively long side 21 and a relatively short side 22, wherein the carbon fiber prepreg 20 is formed with a radian structure 23 along the direction of the relatively short side 22, so that the carbon fiber prepreg 20 has a concave surface and a convex surface on opposite sides. In order to prevent the radian structure 23 from being difficult to form due to the arrangement of fibers, the fiber arrangement direction of the carbon fiber prepreg 20 can form an included angle with the length direction of the carbon fiber prepreg 20, such as 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 60 degrees, etc., so that the arc structure 23 can be smoothly formed by changing the angle of the fibrous tissues when forming the radian structure 23.

More preferably, when a plurality of the continuous carbon fiber prepregs 10 are laminated and attached, a pressure is provided so that the carbon fiber prepregs 20 are tightly compacted, and a gap formed between each layer of the continuous carbon fiber prepregs 10 can be reduced, which helps to improve the structural rigidity of a carbon fiber product completed by the carbon fiber prepregs 20 through subsequent processes. Wherein, a roller is used to roll on the surface of the carbon fiber prepreg 20 and give the pressure.

Further, a plurality of the continuous carbon fiber prepregs 10 are laminated and attached to a mold A, the mold A is a rectangular sheet, and one short side of the mold A includes the arc structure 23, so that the carbon fiber prepreg 20 can be shaped correspondingly to the surface structure of the mold A, preferably, the mold A is formed of a thermoplastic sheet.

Step S2, concave bending the carbon fiber prepreg 20: apply a pressure and a heating temperature, and use the relatively long side 21 of the carbon fiber prepreg 20 to concavely bend the carbon fiber prepreg 20 to form a carbon fiber prepreg non-linear body. Preferably, after the carbon fiber prepreg 20 undergoes concave bending, the two ends of the opposite long sides 21 of the carbon fiber prepreg 20 can approach each other. More preferably, the so-called non-linear structure may be a ring, a ring including a gap, a U-shape, a triangle, a polygon, etc. frame-like structures.

Taking the carbon fiber prepreg non-linear body as the ring shape as an example, the carbon fiber prepreg body 20 is concavely curved so that the two ends of the carbon fiber prepreg body 20 are close to each other and attached, so that the thermoplastic resin at the attached two ends of the carbon fiber prepreg non-linear body can be fused with each other through heating, and are tightly combined to form the ring shape through the pressure.

Wherein, the concave bending of the carbon fiber prepreg 20 can be realized by using a forming mold, and a non-linear space is formed in the forming mold, the carbon fiber prepreg 20 is placed in the non-linear space of the forming mold, and the pressing force and the heating temperature are applied at the same time. When the carbon fiber prepreg non-linear body is to be formed into a ring shape, a clamp can also be used to fix the two ends of the opposite long side 21 to facilitate adhesion and fusion.

The concave bending of the carbon fiber prepreg body 20 can also be achieved by a forming roller. The carbon fiber prepreg body 20 is introduced between a plurality of the forming rollers in pairs, so that the two forming rollers roll on the two surfaces of at least a part of the carbon fiber prepreg body 20 and give the pressure and the heating temperature at the same time. The concave curvature forms the carbon fiber prepreg non-linear body.

Furthermore, when a plurality of the continuous carbon fiber prepregs 10 are laminated and attached to the mold A, because the mold A is also a thermoplastic material, the mold A will also be melted under the influence of the pressing force and the heating temperature, so that the carbon fiber prepreg sheet body 20 can be concave at the same time as the mold A and fused with the thermoplastic resin of the carbon fiber prepreg non-linear body.

Wherein, the carbon fiber prepreg non-linear body is not limited to have the concave surface or the convex surface facing inward or outward. In this embodiment, the carbon fiber prepreg sheet body 20 forms the carbon fiber prepreg non-linear body in the shape of a ring with the concave surface facing outward.

Step S3 , solidifying the carbon fiber prepreg nonlinear body: after a cooling procedure, the carbon fiber prepreg nonlinear body is solidified and shaped to form a carbon fiber nonlinear product 30 .

Since the mold A is the thermoplastic plastic sheet, after the carbon fiber prepreg nonlinear body is solidified, the mold A can be completely joined with the carbon fiber prepreg nonlinear body to form an integrally formed state, and the mold A does not need to be taken out. Not only can it overcome the problem that the traditional carbon fiber forming technology is not suitable for making curved or tubular structures, but it can also help to strengthen the overall structural rigidity of the carbon fiber non-linear product 30 .

Furthermore, through the non-linear carbon fiber composite manufacturing method provided by the present invention, a non-linear pipe product can also be formed through reprocessing according to requirements. The non-linear pipe product includes a first non-linear product and a non-linear product. The first non-linear product or the second non-linear product is respectively made through the above steps S1 to S4, and the first non-linear product or the second nonlinear product is formed with the arc structure 23 along the direction of the relatively short side 22. By applying the pressure and the heating temperature, the two long sides of the first non-linear product are melted and bonded to the two long sides of the second non-linear product. After cooling, the integrally formed nonlinear pipe product can be formed.

Further, please refer to FIG. 3 to FIG. 4 , through the manufacturing method of the non-linear carbon fiber composite material provided by the present invention, a bicycle wheel frame 40 can also be reprocessed according to requirements. As shown in FIG. 3 , the bicycle wheel frame 40 includes the annular inner non-linear product 41 and a non-linear product 42 , both of which are manufactured through the above steps S1 to S4 respectively. The inner nonlinear product 41 and the outer nonlinear product 42 are formed with the radian structure 23 along the direction of the relatively short side 22, and the inner nonlinear product 41 and the outer nonlinear product 42 respectively form the carbon fiber prepreg nonlinear body with an inner ring concave surface 411 and an outer ring concave surface 421 facing outward. The difference between the inner nonlinear product 41 and the outer nonlinear product 42 is that the inner diameter R of an outer ring formed by the outer nonlinear product 42 is larger than the inner diameter r of an inner ring formed by the inner nonlinear product 41 .

Wherein, the outer nonlinear product 42 is inserted into an inner ring groove 413 formed by the inner ring concave surface 411 with an outer ring convex surface 422 corresponding to the inner nonlinear product 41, and the inner ring concave surface 411 of the inner nonlinear product 41 abuts against the outer ring convex surface 422 of the outer nonlinear product 42 along the length direction, and the inner ring concave surface 411 and the outer ring convex surface 422 are abutted against each other by applying the pressing force and the heating temperature. The parts are melted and bonded, and after cooling, the integrally formed bicycle wheel frame can be formed.

Furthermore, a reinforcement structure 44 can be formed on the bicycle wheel frame 40 by applying heat and pressure to the continuous carbon fiber prepreg 10 . The reinforcing structure can protrude outward along the length direction at the position where the inner ring concave surface 411 and the outer ring convex surface 422 abut against each other to form a fixing rib 43 , and the fixing rib 43 can be used for assembling with a bicycle tire. Alternatively, the reinforcing structure is that at least a part of the inner ring convex surface 412 is heated and pressed against the continuous carbon fiber prepreg 10 to form the reinforcing structure 44, so that the overall thickness of at least a part of the inner non-linear product 41 is increased, and the overall structural strength of the bicycle wheel frame 40 is strengthened.

Further, the method of strengthening the structure of the bicycle wheel frame 40 is not limited to the method of heating and pressing after step S3, and the fixing rib 43 or the reinforcing structure 44 can also be placed in the forming mold when the carbon fiber prepreg sheet body 20 is placed in the forming mold in step S2 to complete the reinforcement of the bicycle wheel frame 40.

Furthermore, the present invention also provides the reinforcing structure 44 formed on the surface of the bicycle wheel frame 40 by using a filament winding technology. The fiber winding technology can wind a carbon fiber pre-impregnated in the thermoplastic resin around the outer periphery of the bicycle wheel frame 40, and form a multi-layer structure. By continuously providing a winding temperature and applying a wrapping pressure during winding, the carbon fibers between the layers can be welded together, and finally the overall structural strength of the bicycle wheel frame 40 is increased after cooling and solidification.

The manufacturing method of the non-linear carbon fiber composite material provided by the present invention is low in cost and simple in steps. By first forming the carbon fiber prepreg body 20 and then undergoing concave bending and fixed molding, the carbon fiber non-linear product 30 can be completed simply, quickly and without time-consuming. It overcomes the problem that the traditional carbon fiber forming technology is not suitable for making a curved or tubular structure, and can also help to strengthen the overall structural rigidity of the carbon fiber non-linear product 30. Due to the direct combination with the mold A, the overall structural rigidity of the carbon fiber non-linear product 30 is strengthened. It can be applied to the production of curved or ring-shaped products such as wheel frames, which greatly expands the development and application fields of carbon fiber technology.

10: Continuous carbon fiber prepreg 20: Carbon fiber prepreg 21: relatively long side 22: relatively short side 23: radian structure 30: Carbon fiber non-linear products 40: bicycle wheel frame 41: Inner non-linear products 411: Inner ring concave 42: Outer non-linear products 421: Outer ring concave A: Mold R: inner diameter of outer ring r: inner diameter of inner ring

Fig. 1 is a step diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention Fig. 2A is the schematic diagram of each step of the preferred embodiment of the present invention Fig. 2B is a schematic side view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention Figure 2C is a schematic side view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention Fig. 3 is the schematic diagram of the first preferred embodiment of the finished product provided by the present invention Fig. 4 is the schematic diagram of the second preferred embodiment of the finished product provided by the present invention

Claims (11)

A method for manufacturing a non-linear carbon fiber composite material, the steps of which include: laminating a plurality of continuous carbon fiber prepregs to form a cuboid carbon fiber prepreg, the continuous carbon fiber prepreg is impregnated in a thermoplastic resin; a plurality of the continuous carbon fiber prepregs are laminated and attached to a mold, the mold is a rectangular piece, and one of the short sides of the mold includes a curved structure, and the carbon fiber prepreg is formed along a direction of a relatively short side. A pressure and a heating temperature make a relatively long side of the carbon fiber prepreg body concave and curved, so that the two ends of the carbon fiber prepreg body approach each other to form a ring-shaped carbon fiber prepreg non-linear body including a gap; after a cooling process, the carbon fiber prepreg non-linear body is solidified and shaped to form a carbon fiber non-linear product. The manufacturing method of non-linear carbon fiber composite material according to claim 1, wherein the mold is composed of a thermoplastic plastic sheet. The manufacturing method of non-linear carbon fiber composite material as described in claim 1 or 2, using a forming mold to concavely bend the carbon fiber prepreg body, placing the carbon fiber prepreg body in the forming mold forming a non-linear space, and simultaneously applying the pressure and the heating temperature, wherein the two ends of the carbon fiber prepreg non-linear body are attached to each other, and are combined into a ring through the pressure force and the heating temperature. The non-linear carbon fiber composite material manufacturing method as described in claim 1 or 2, using a forming roller to concavely bend at least a part of the carbon fiber prepreg body, introducing the carbon fiber prepreg body between the pair of two forming rollers, the two forming rollers rolling on the two surfaces of at least a part of the carbon fiber prepreg body, and the two forming rollers driving the carbon fiber prepreg body to run, and simultaneously giving the pressure and the heating temperature. The non-linear carbon fiber composite manufacturing method as described in Claim 1 or 2, the thermoplastic resin is selected from polyoxymethylene, polyphenylene sulfide, polystyrene, polyethersulfide, polyether ether ketone, aromatic polyester liquid crystal polymer, polyetherimide, polyamideimide, polyacetal, nylon, polycarbonate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyphenylene ether, polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, styrene copolymer , cellulose acetate, thermoplastic polyurethane, elastomer, polytetrafluoroethylene, vinylon, polypropylene, polyethylene, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer and polyvinyl chloride. A non-linear carbon fiber composite finished product, comprising a first non-linear product and a second non-linear product manufactured by any one of the methods of claim 1 to claim 5, the two long sides of the first non-linear product are respectively melted and bonded by the two long sides of the second non-linear product through a pressure and a heating temperature, and finally an integrally formed non-linear pipe product is formed through a cooling process. A non-linear carbon fiber composite finished product, comprising an inner non-linear product and an outer non-linear product made by any one of the methods of claim 1 to claim 5, the inner non-linear product and the outer non-linear product respectively form a carbon fiber pre-impregnated non-linear body with an inner ring concave surface and an outer ring concave surface facing outward, wherein: the inner diameter of an outer ring formed by the outer non-linear product is larger than the inner diameter of an inner ring formed by the inner nonlinear product, and the outer non-linear product has a convex surface of the outer ring extending in a longitudinal direction and The concave surface of the inner ring of the inner non-linear product is abutted against, and a pressure and a heating temperature are used to melt and bond the concave surface of the inner ring and the convex surface of the outer ring to form an integral bicycle wheel frame after cooling. According to the finished product of non-linear carbon fiber composite material as described in Claim 7, the structure of the bicycle wheel frame includes a reinforcing structure, and the reinforcing structure is a fixed rib protruding outward at the position where the concave surface of the inner ring and the convex surface of the outer ring abut against each other. In the non-linear carbon fiber composite finished product as claimed in claim 7 or 8, the structure of the bicycle wheel frame includes a reinforcing structure, and the reinforcing structure increases the overall thickness of at least a part of the inner non-linear product. In the finished product of non-linear carbon fiber composite material as described in Claim 9, the reinforcing structure is formed by applying heat and pressure to the continuous carbon fiber prepreg. In the finished product of non-linear carbon fiber composite material as described in Claim 7, the structure of the bicycle wheel frame includes a reinforcing structure, and a carbon fiber pre-impregnated in the thermoplastic resin is wound around the outer periphery of the bicycle wheel frame by using a filament winding technology, and the reinforcing structure is formed with multiple layers.

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