Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
  • C03C25/00—Surface treatment of fibres or filaments made from glass, minerals or slags
  • C03C25/10—Coating
  • C03C25/12—General methods of coating; Devices therefor
  • C03C25/20—Contacting the fibres with applicators, e.g. rolls
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
  • C03C25/00—Surface treatment of fibres or filaments made from glass, minerals or slags
  • C03C25/10—Coating
  • C03C25/12—General methods of coating; Devices therefor
  • C03C25/14—Spraying
  • C03C25/143—Spraying onto continuous fibres
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
  • C03C25/00—Surface treatment of fibres or filaments made from glass, minerals or slags
  • C03C25/10—Coating
  • C03C25/24—Coatings containing organic materials
  • C03C25/26—Macromolecular compounds or prepolymers
  • C03C25/32—Macromolecular compounds or prepolymers obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
  • C03C25/36—Epoxy resins

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for pre-impregnating glass or synthetic fibers with a curable, non-aqueous chemical treatment, and more particularly, to such a method which may be performed in-line with the glass forming process.
• Glass fibers are commonly manufactured by supplying molten glass to a bushing, drawing glass fibers from the bushing, and applying an aqueous size to the fibers with an applicator roll. The fibers are then packaged and dried for further processing.
• the fibers are often further chemically treated in an off-line process with a curable resin.
• the resins may be thermosetting or thermoplastic and may be either aqueous-based or totally organic.
• continuous glass fibers may be treated with an aqueous-based thermoplastic, dried in an oven, and used to reinforce asphalt roads.
• continuous glass fibers may be treated with a thermosetting resin and then pulled through a heated die to make parts such as ladder rails. This treatment of glass fibers is commonly referred to as "off-line" processing. In all cases, however, the continuous glass fibers must be spread apart, impregnated with resin, and then recombined.
• Gaa et al. U.S. Patent No. 5,258,227, describes an aqueous chemical treatment which may be applied to glass fibers during the forming process and then dried.
• this method still requires that the fibers be wound into packages which are then dried at length in an oven. Accordingly, there is still a need in the art for a method and apparatus for pre-impregnating glass fibers with a curable chemical treatment during the forming process which does not require additional drying steps, and which results in treated fibers having good handling and processing characteristics.
• the present invention meets those needs by providing an improved method and apparatus for pre-impregnating glass or synthetic fibers by applying a curable, non-aqueous chemical treatment to glass or synthetic fibers.
• the method is performed in-line with the glass-forming process and results in treated fibers having improved properties for further handling and processing.
• an apparatus for the in-line pre-impregnation of glass or synthetic fibers with a non-aqueous chemical treatment comprising first and second sources of fibers, a rotatable member adapted to wind or chop the fibers, or to form a mat from the fibers, and first and second applicators which are positioned between the first and second sources of the fibers and the rotatable member.
• the first applicator is adapted to apply a curable, non-aqueous chemical treatment agent to the fibers from the first source
• the second applicator is adapted to apply a curing agent for the chemical treatment agent to fibers from the second source.
• the apparatus also includes a device for gathering together the fibers from both sources after the chemical treatment agent and curing agent have been applied, to thereby initiate curing of the chemical treatment agent.
• the gathering device is preferably heated or cooled in order to accelerate or decelerate the reaction of the chemical treatment agent and curing agent on the glass.
• a heated bushing is used as the first and second sources of fibers.
• the heated bushing supplies separate streams of molten glass which are drawn into fibers.
• the first and second applicators are preferably arranged in parallel position with a collar therebetween.
• a heated bushing is used as the first and second sources of fibers, and the first and second applicators are arranged in series.
• the first source of fibers is a heated bushing and the second source of fibers is an unwinding station for previously formed glass or synthetic fibers.
• the first and second applicators comprise kiss rolls, where the first applicator comprises a kiss roll having a reservoir containing the curable, non-aqueous chemical treatment agent, and the second applicator comprises a kiss roll having a reservoir containing the curing agent.
• the first and second applicators comprise porous rolls, where the first applicator comprises a porous roll supplied with the curable, non-aqueous chemical treatment agent by a pump, and the second applicator comprises a porous roll supplied with the curing agent by a pump.
• the apparatus comprises a source of fibers, a rotatable member adapted to wind the fibers, a first source for supplying a curable, non-aqueous chemical treatment agent, and a second source for supplying a curing agent for the chemical treatment agent.
• the source of fibers may comprise a heated bushing, or alternatively, the source of fibers may be an unwinding station for previously formed glass or synthetic fibers.
• the apparatus further includes a spray gun adapted to receive the chemical treatment agent and the curing agent to form a mixture which may be applied to the fibers.
• the apparatus includes an applicator roll against which the spray from the gun is directed. Coating is accomplished by the action of the roll rotating and contacting the glass or synthetic fibers.
• the apparatus preferably further includes a third source for supplying a solvent which is used to purge the spray gun of the mixture at regular intervals to prevent premature curing of the chemical treatment agent and curing agent.
• the apparatus also includes a gathering device to gather the fibers after the mixture has been sprayed on the fibers. The gathering device may be heated or cooled as desired.
• the present invention also provides a process for the in-line pre-impregnation of glass or synthetic fibers with a non-aqueous chemical treatment comprising the steps of supplying first and second sources of fibers, applying a curable, non-aqueous chemical treatment agent from a first applicator to the first source of fibers, applying a curing agent for the chemical treatment agent from a second applicator to the second source of fibers, and gathering the fibers together in a gathering device from both sources, thereby initiating curing of the chemical treatment agent.
• the process may further include the step of heating or cooling the fibers with the gathering device.
• the curable, non-aqueous chemical treatment agent comprises an epoxy resin.
• the curing agent for the non-aqueous chemical treatment is preferably selected from the group consisting of amines and acid anhydrides. In some cases, the cure may be accelerated by the addition of Lewis acids.
• the first and second sources of fibers is a heated bushing which splits the glass into two streams as it exits the bushing.
• the first and second applicators are arranged in parallel position with a collar therebetween such that the first source of fibers from one stream is passed over the first applicator which applies the curable, non-aqueous chemical treatment agent, and the second source of fibers from the other stream is applied with the curing agent by the second applicator.
• the first source of fibers is a heated bushing
• the second source of fibers is an unwinding station for previously formed glass or synthetic fibers, where the first source of fibers from the bushing is passed over the first applicator, and the second source of previously formed fibers is passed over the second applicator.
• the first and second sources of fibers are drawn into a single stream from the bushing.
• the fibers are passed over the first applicator which applies the curable, non-aqueous chemical treatment agent and then over the second applicator which applies the curing agent.
• the first source of fibers is the heated bushing
• the second source of fibers is an unwinding station for previously formed glass or synthetic fibers.
• the fibers from the heated bushing are applied with the non-aqueous chemical treatment agent while the fibers from the unwinding station are applied with the curing agent.
• the fibers are then joined together by the gathering device to initiate curing.
• the process comprises the steps of drawing fibers from a heated bushing and supplying a curable, non-aqueous chemical treatment agent and a curing agent to a spray gun to form a mixture. The mixture is then sprayed on the applicator which subsequently coats the fibers, and curing is initiated.
• the fibers are then gathered together in a gathering device which may be heated or cooled.
• the resulting pre-impregnated fibers may be further processed and impregnated in a variety of applications including reaction injection molding and injection molding.
• the fibers may also be used in pultrusion and filament winding processes, or the fibers may be further processed in knitted or woven form.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.
• Figure 1 A is a perspective view of an alternative emodiment of the apparatus of Figure 1;
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1;
• Figure 2 A is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus of Figure 2;
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention
• Figure 4 is a schematic side view of yet another embodiment of the invention
• Figure 5 is a schematic side view of yet another embodiment of the invention.
• the method and apparatus of the present invention allow the application and curing of a non-aqueous chemical treatment to glass fibers during an in-line process. This provides several advantages over prior-art methods which apply aqueous treatments during the glass-forming process which require subsequent drying steps.
• the present invention utilizes a fast-reacting non-aqueous chemical treatment which allows the resulting fibers to be processed immediately after treatment, either in-line or off-line. For example, the pre-impregnated fibers may be wound directly onto a package or sent to an in-line chopper or in-line mold for further processing.
• the pre-impregnated fibers may be used effectively in a variety of impregnation applications including reaction injection molding, which may be performed in-line or off-line.
• the fibers may also be pultruded or wound into filaments.
• the non-aqueous chemical treatment agent comprises an epoxy resin.
• a preferred epoxy resin is Shell EPON 8121, available from Shell Oil Company.
• the curing agent may comprise a number of amines or acid anhydrides such as polyamides which are available from Ciba-Geigy or Shell Oil Company.
• the resin and curing agent are preferably applied in a stoichiometric ratio; however, the ratio may vary depending on the desired end use of the fibers. For example, the amount of curing agent may be greater in applications where it is desired that the fibers be fully cured, while the epoxy resin should be present in greater amounts in applications where it is desired that the fibers be only partially cured.
• thermosetting additive or epoxy resin in powdered form may be added to either the epoxy resin or curing agent.
• Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of the apparatus 10 of the present invention which includes a heated bushing 12 having a number of orifices (not shown) through which a plurality of streams of molten glass are discharged.
• the streams of glass are mechanically drawn to form continuous fibers 14 via a drawing device illustrated as a rotatable member or winder device 20.
• the bushing splits the glass into two streams 16 and 16a.
• the glass is preferably split in a ratio that represents the desired mix of epoxy resin to curing agent.
• the apparatus utilizes a first applicator 22 for supplying the epoxy resin and a second applicator 24 for supplying the curing agent.
• the applicators comprise porous rolls which are supplied with the resin and curing agent by pumps (not shown) through respective lines 26 and 26a. It should be appreciated that the applicator rolls may be of different diameters and varying porosity depending on the desired application.
• the applicator rolls are preferably separated by a collar 18 which functions to prevent premature mixing of the resin and curing agent.
• a drip pan 28 may be positioned beneath the rolls to collect any runoff as the resin and curing agent are applied to the fibers from the rolls.
• the first stream 16 is preferably passed over the first applicator roll 22 where the non-aqueous chemical treatment agent is applied, and the second stream 16a is passed over the second applicator roll 24 where the curing agent is applied.
• a gathering device such as gathering shoe 30 which initiates curing of the chemical treatment agent on the fibers.
• the gathering shoe may be heated or cooled as desired to ensure that the glass is tack free prior to further processing.
• the fibers may be wound via the winder device 20 onto a collet 32 as shown, or they may be pulled onto an in-line chopping device, depending on the desired end use for the fibers.
• FIG. IA An alternative embodiment of the apparatus is shown in Figure IA, in which the first source of fibers is the bushing 12, and the second source of fibers is a separate unwind station 42 from which previously formed glass or synthetic fibers 44 are unwound.
• the first and second applicators 22, 24 comprise kiss rolls.
• the first applicator 22 includes a reservoir 34 containing the resin which is supplied by a pump (not shown) through line 38, while the second applicator includes a reservoir 36 containing the curing agent which is supplied by pump (not shown) through line 38a.
• the apparatus of the present invention may utilize either kiss rolls or porous rolls, depending on the desired application. For example, it may be desirable to use porous rolls when working with more viscous treatments.
• the apparatus of Figure 2 may also be configured so as to include a separate unwind station 42 for supplying previously formed glass or synthetic fibers 44 as shown in Figure 2A.
• Figure 3 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which the first and second applicators 22, 24 are arranged in series.
• the glass fibers 14 are drawn from the bushing, they are maintained in a single stream which passes over the first applicator 22 where the resin is applied, and then over the second applicator 24 where the curing agent is applied.
• the applicators comprise kiss rolls having respective reservoirs 34, 36 which are supplied by pumps (not shown) through lines 38, 38a. After the fibers have traveled across both applicators, the fibers are gathered at gathering shoe 30 and then processed as desired.
• Figure 4 illustrates yet another embodiment of the invention in which the apparatus allows previously formed synthetic fibers or fibers of different glass types to be incorporated with fibers formed during the in-line process.
• the apparatus includes a separate unwind station 42 from which the previously formed glass or synthetic fibers 44 are unwound.
• glass fibers 14 drawn from bushing 12 pass over first applicator 22 which applies the epoxy resin.
• Fibers 44 drawn from the separate unwind station 42 pass over applicator 24 which applies the curing agent.
• the fibers 14 and 44 are joined at gathering shoe 30 to form a single tow 40 where the resin and curing agent come into contact with one another on the two sets of fibers, and curing of the resin is initiated.
• Figure 5 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention in which the resin and curing agent are sprayed simultaneously onto the applicator roll 60 by a spray gun 58.
• the apparatus includes a first tank 50 which contains the epoxy resin and a second tank 52 which contains the curing agent.
• a third tank 54 is also included which contains a solvent for purging the apparatus at regular intervals to prevent curing of the resin and curing agent within the spray gun.
• the apparatus further includes an air-motor-driven formulator 56 which is adapted to meter the correct ratios of resin and curative delivered to the spray gun.
• the resin and curing agent are pumped from tanks 50, 52 to the air-driven formulator 56 which then delivers the correct ratios of resin and curing agent to the spray gun 58.
• the spray gun 58 is sprayed onto the back of a rotating applicator roll 60 which comes into contact with the moving fibers so that the fibers are coated with the mixture, and curing is initiated.
• the fibers are then passed through gathering shoe 30 where they are heated or cooled as desired for further processing.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Treatments For Attaching Organic Compounds To Fibrous Goods (AREA)
• Reinforced Plastic Materials (AREA)
• Surface Treatment Of Glass Fibres Or Filaments (AREA)
• Chemical Or Physical Treatment Of Fibers (AREA)
• Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=23937775

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (10)

Cited By (3)

Families Citing this family (2)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 1996
  • 1996-05-25 TW TW085106240A patent/TW371680B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1996-05-28 IN IN973CA1996 patent/IN189447B/en unknown
  • 1996-06-03 WO PCT/US1996/008517 patent/WO1996040596A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1996-06-03 JP JP9501091A patent/JPH10506604A/ja active Pending
  • 1996-06-03 KR KR1019970700821A patent/KR100417881B1/ko not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-06-03 CA CA002196580A patent/CA2196580A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1996-06-03 EP EP96917043A patent/EP0773911B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-06-03 AU AU59736/96A patent/AU705084B2/en not_active Expired
  • 1996-06-03 DE DE69605887T patent/DE69605887T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1997
  • 1997-06-10 US US08/872,232 patent/US5744089A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (3)

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