Method of producing composite members having increased strength

A method of making a member comprising the steps of:

• determining a volume expansion of a foam material from a liquid to a solid;
• incorporating fibers and rigidly solid substantially incompressible filler material into said foam material to form a foam mixture in an amount wherein said filler material comprises a volume ratio that adjusts said volume expansion of said foam mixture to reduce shear stress between said foam mixture and a deformable structural material;
• introducing said foam mixture through a die, wherein said foam mixture locates in said deformable structural material, said step of introducing after said step of determining said volume expansion of said foam material for preventing swelling of said deformable structural material;
• wherein said fibers contact and interact with at least some of said filler material, said filler material acting as anchoring members to anchor said fibers in said foam mixture, thereby strengthening the member;
• wherein said rigidly solid incompressible filler material interacts with said fibers throughout said foam mixture.

A method of making a foam member comprising the steps of:

• determining an expanded foam volume of an unexpanded mixture of an unexpanded polymer material, chopped fibers and substantially incompressible filler material;
• calculating an optimal feed rate of said unexpanded mixture for preventing a volume mismatch with respect to a deformable structural material;
• feeding said unexpanded mixture through a die and expanding said unexpanded mixture to form an expanded foam mixture, wherein said filler material comprises a volume ratio of 20% to 80% with respect to a volume of said expanded foam mixture, wherein said expanded foam mixture locates in said deformable structural material;
• wherein said step of feeding is after said step of determining said expanded foam volume for preventing swelling of said deformable structural material;
• wherein said fibers contact and adhere to at least some of said filler material, said filler material acting as anchoring members to said fibers.

A method of making a member comprising the steps of:

• determining an expanded foam volume of an unexpanded mixture of unexpanded polymer material, chopped fibers and substantially incompressible filler material;
• calculating an optimal feed rate of said unexpanded mixture comprising said unexpanded polymer material, said fibers and said filler material for preventing a volume mismatch with respect to a deformable structural material;
• introducing said unexpanded mixture through a die, wherein said unexpanded mixture expands to form an expanded foam mixture, wherein said filler material comprises a volume ratio that adjusts a volume of said expanded foam mixture, to reduce shear stress between said expanded foam mixture and a deformable structural material wherein said expanded mixture locates in said deformable structural material;
• said step of introducing is after said step of determining said expanded foam volume for preventing swelling of said deformable structural material;
• wherein said fibers contact and interact with at least some of said filler material, said filler material acting as anchoring members to anchor said fibers in said expanded foam mixture, for strengthening the member;
• wherein said filler material interacts with said fibers throughout said expanded foam mixture;
• adjusting a selected amount of said filler material in said unexpanded mixture to achieve a desirable coefficient of thermal expansion of said expanded foam mixture with respect to said deformable structural material for reducing a difference in a coefficient of thermal expansion between the expanded foam mixture and the deformable structural material for significantly reducing or preventing delamination of said expanded foam mixture from said deformable structural material.