# US 10,442,115 B2 · Manufacturing thermoplastic composites and articles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,442,115 B2 - Document ID: US10442115B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/164,434 - Filed: 2016-05-25 - Published: 2017-11-30 - Granted: 2019-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-25 - Assignees: Johns Manville - Applicants: Johns Manville - Inventors: Mingfu Zhang; Asheber Yohannes; Michael Block; Klaus Friedrich Gleich; Daniel P De Kock; Jawed Asrar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10442115B2 ## CPC - B29B 11/16: comprising fillers or reinforcement {(non-woven fabrics per se D04H1/00, D04H3/00)} - B29B 9/06: in the form of filamentary material, e.g. combined with extrusion - B29B 15/122: {with a matrix in liquid form, e.g. as melt, solution or latex} - B29C 43/003: {characterised by the choice of material} - B29C 45/0001: {characterised by the choice of material} - C08J 5/06: using pretreated fibrous materials - C08J 5/08: glass fibres - G06F 3/048: Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] - G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - G06F 3/167: {Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback} - G10L 15/22: Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue - G10L 15/26: Speech to text systems (G10L15/08 takes precedence) - H03G 3/3005: {in amplifiers suitable for low-frequencies, e.g. audio amplifiers (H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence)} - H04M 1/6075: {adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle (H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241)} - H04M 1/72412: using two-way short-range wireless interfaces - H04M 1/72454: according to context-related or environment-related conditions - B29C 48/022: {characterised by the choice of material} - B29C 2045/0091: {Pellets or granules, e.g. their structure, composition, length, height, width} - B29K 2079/085: {Thermoplastic polyimides, e.g. polyesterimides, PEI, i.e. polyetherimides, or polyamideimides; Derivatives thereof} - B29K 2105/08: of continuous length, e.g. cords, rovings, mats, fabrics, strands or yarns - C08J 2377/02: Polyamides derived from omega-amino carboxylic acids or from lactams thereof (C08J2377/10 takes precedence) - B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS - 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 (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - H03G: CONTROL OF AMPLIFICATION - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - 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 ## Abstract Embodiments of the present technology may include a method of making a thermoplastic composite strand. The method may include melting a reactive thermoplastic resin to form a molten reactive resin. The method may also include fully impregnating a plurality of continuous fibers with the molten reactive resin in an impregnation device. The method may further include polymerizing the molten reactive resin to form a thermoplastic resin matrix. In addition, the method may include cooling the thermoplastic resin matrix to form a thermoplastic composite strand. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of making a thermoplastic composite strand, the method comprising: melting a reactive thermoplastic resin to form a molten reactive resin; combining a plurality of continuous fibers with the molten reactive resin in an impregnation device to fully impregnate the plurality of continuous fibers with the molten reactive resin; polymerizing the molten reactive resin to form a thermoplastic resin matrix in a polymerization device; and cooling the thermoplastic resin matrix to form the thermoplastic composite strand. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein melting the reactive thermoplastic resin is in an extruder. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of continuous fibers is a roving. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein polymerizing the molten reactive resin comprises pulling the roving impregnated with the molten reactive resin through a curing oven. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the roving is sized with a reactive sizing composition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the reactive sizing composition comprises a polymerization agent. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the polymerization agent comprises a polymerization catalyst, a polymerization activator, or a polymerization initiator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein 40 wt. % or more of the thermoplastic composite strand comprises glass fiber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the reactive thermoplastic resin comprises monomers, melting the reactive thermoplastic resin comprises forming oligomers from the monomers in the reactive thermoplastic resin, and polymerizing the molten reactive resin comprises polymerizing oligomers into polymers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the reactive thermoplastic resin comprises monomers or oligomers, and polymerizing the molten reactive resin comprises polymerizing the monomers or oligomers into polymers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: chopping the thermoplastic composite strand into a plurality of pellets, wherein the plurality of pellets comprises a pellet having a length, and the pellet comprises a fiber having the length. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the length is 3 mm or more. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the impregnation device is a cross-head die. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein polymerizing the molten reactive resin comprises polymerizing monomer or oligomer precursors of polyamides, polybutylene terephthalate, thermoplastic polyurethane, polymethyl methacrylate, or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein polymerizing the molten reactive resin comprises polymerizing monomer or oligomer precursors into a polyamide. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein polymerizing the molten reactive resin comprises anionically polymerizing caprolactam into polyamide-6. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the reactive thermoplastic resin comprises a polymerization agent. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein polymerizing the molten reactive resin comprises polymerizing in the absence of water. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein polymerizing the molten reactive resin comprises flowing dry nitrogen or an inert gas in a curing oven. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of continuous fibers comprises E-glass, A-glass, C-glass, S-glass, ECR-glass, T-glass, fluorine-free derivatives thereof, boron-free derivatives thereof, or carbon fibers. ### Claim 21 A method of making a composite article, the method comprising: melting a reactive thermoplastic resin to form a molten reactive resin; fully impregnating a roving with the molten reactive resin in an impregnation device; polymerizing the molten reactive resin to form a first thermoplastic resin matrix in a polymerization device; cooling the first thermoplastic resin matrix to form a thermoplastic composite comprising fibers fully impregnated with the first thermoplastic resin matrix; mixing the thermoplastic composite with a second thermoplastic resin to form a mixture; and forming the composite article from the mixture. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the first thermoplastic resin matrix comprises a polyamide-6 produced by in situ anionic polymerization of caprolactam, and the second thermoplastic resin comprises a hydrolytically polymerized polyamide-6. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising: forming a plurality of pellets from the thermoplastic composite, wherein: mixing the thermoplastic composite with the second thermoplastic resin comprises mixing the plurality of pellets with the second thermoplastic resin. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein 40 wt. % or more of the thermoplastic composite comprises the fibers. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising: forming a plurality of pellets from the thermoplastic composite, wherein: mixing the thermoplastic composite with the second thermoplastic resin comprises mixing the plurality of pellets with the second thermoplastic resin, and the composite article comprises greater than 10 wt. % glass fiber. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising processing the mixture through an injection molding, a compression molding process, or a local reinforcement process.