Hybrid self-reinforced composite material
AssigneeKatholieke Universiteit Leuven
InventorsMark J. Bonner, Larissa Gorbatikh, Peter J. Hine, Yentl Swolfs, Ignaas Verpoest, Ian M. Ward
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides novel hybrid self-reinforced composites, combining an oriented brittle fibre and an oriented thermoplastic polymeric ductile fibre (as reinforcement phase) in the same thermoplastic polymeric matrix phase. The hybrid self-reinforced composites are strong and stiff, but in case of impact or crash they have high strain to failure and absorb a lot of energy. The present invention also relates to methods to produce said hybrid self-reinforced composites by a hot compaction technique.
Claims21
A fibrous self-reinforced composite (SRC) material comprising:
- a matrix phase comprising a thermoplastic polymer;
- and
- a reinforcement phase including:
- a first oriented polymeric ductile fibre having the same type of thermoplastic polymer as the matrix phase, wherein said ductile fibres have a failure strain of at least 8%, and
- a second high stiffness, brittle fibre, wherein said brittle fibres make up less than 30 vol % of the composite material and have a failure strain of less than 4%;
- wherein said brittle fibres are highly dispersed within said composite material by
- the ductile fibres and the brittle fibres being organised in an intralayer configuration, and/or
- the ductile fibres and the brittle fibres being organised in an interlayer configuration wherein alternatingly a layer of ductile fibres and a layer of brittle fibres is introduced and wherein the thickness of the layer of brittle fibres is smaller than 125 μm times the square root of the ratio (230 GPa/stiffness of the brittle fibre), and/or
- the ductile fibres and the brittle fibres being organised in an intrayarn configuration;
- and
- wherein the matrix phase is formed around each of the brittle fibres and the ductile fibres such that the brittle fibres and the ductile fibres are completely coated by the matrix material;
- and
- wherein said composite material has a stiffness of at least 10 GPa, a tensile strength of at least 250 MPa, and an impact (Izod) strength of at least 2500 J/m.
A fibrous self-reinforced composite material manufactured using a method for manufacturing a fibrous self-reinforced composite material, the method comprising:
- providing a matrix phase comprising a thermoplastic polymer;
- and
- a reinforcement phase including:
- a first oriented polymeric ductile fibre having the same type of thermoplastic polymer as the matrix phase, wherein said ductile fibres have a failure strain of at least 8%, and
- a second high stiffness, brittle fibre, wherein said brittle fibres have a failure strain of less than 4%;
- wherein said brittle fibres make up less than 30 vol % of the composite material, and the matrix phase is formed around each of the ductile fibres and the brittle fibres;
- said providing a matrix phase comprising organising the ductile fibres and the brittle fibres in an intralayer configuration, or organising the ductile fibres and the brittle fibres in an intrayarn configuration;
- wherein the matrix phase is formed around each of the brittle fibres and the ductile fibres such that the brittle fibres and the ductile fibres are completely coated by the matrix material;
- and
- wherein said composite material has a stiffness of at least 10 GPa, a tensile strength of at least 250 MPa, and an impact (Izod) strength of at least 2500 J/m.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.