# US 11,441,014 B2 · Translucent fibre composite materials comprising chemically modified polymers

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,441,014 B2
- Document ID: US11441014B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/741,829
- Filed: 2020-01-14
- Published: 2020-08-13
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2015-04-22
- Assignees: Ensinger GmbH
- Applicants: Ineos Styrolution Group GmbH
- Inventors: Norbert Niessner; Philipp Deitmerg; Eike Jahnke; Marko Blinzler; Achim Bernhardt; Tobias Schulz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441014B2

## CPC

- C08K 7/14: Glass
- B32B 5/022: {Non-woven fabric}
- B32B 5/024: {Woven fabric}
- B32B 5/026: {Knitted fabric}
- B32B 5/028: {Net structure, e.g. spaced apart filaments bonded at the crossing points}
- B32B 5/08: the fibres or filaments of a layer being of different substances {, e.g. conjugate fibres, mixture of different fibres}
- B32B 5/26: another layer {next to it} also being fibrous or filamentary {(relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12)}
- B32B 19/02: {the layer of fibres or particles being impregnated or} embedded in a plastic substance
- B32B 27/08: of synthetic resin
- C03C 25/26: Macromolecular compounds or prepolymers
- C08J 5/08: glass fibres
- C08L 25/08: Copolymers of styrene (C08L29/08, C08L35/06, C08L55/02 take precedence)
- C08L 25/12: with unsaturated nitriles
- C08L 25/14: with unsaturated esters
- B32B 2260/023: Two or more layers
- B32B 2260/046: Synthetic resin
- B32B 2262/0269: Aromatic polyamide fibres
- B32B 2262/10: Inorganic fibres
- B32B 2262/101: Glass fibres
- B32B 2262/103: Metal fibres
- B32B 2262/106: Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres
- B32B 2307/40: having particular optical properties
- B32B 2307/4026: within the layer by addition of a colorant, e.g. pigments, dyes
- B32B 2307/538: Roughness
- B32B 2307/546: Flexural strength; Flexion stiffness
- B32B 2419/00: Buildings or parts thereof
- B32B 2509/00: Household appliances
- B32B 2551/00: Optical elements
- B32B 2605/08: Cars
- C08J 2300/104: containing oxygen atoms
- C08J 2325/12: with unsaturated nitriles
- C08J 2351/06: grafted on to homopolymers or copolymers of aliphatic hydrocarbons containing only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
- C08L 2205/025: containing two or more polymers of the same hierarchy C08L, and differing only in parameters such as density, comonomer content, molecular weight, structure
- C08L 2207/04: Thermoplastic elastomer
- C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09)
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- 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
- 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)
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)

## Abstract

The present invention relates to a fibre composite material W of increased translucency and/or mechanical strength, comprising a copolymer C encompassing monomers A-1, where A-1 form covalent bonds with functional groups B-1 on the surface of fibres B embedded in the fibre composite material W, and this fibre composite material W has greater translucency and/or mechanical strength than a fibre composite material Win which the copolymer C contains no A-1. The present invention further embraces a method for producing a fibre composite material W of increased translucency and/or mechanical strength.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fiber composite material W consisting of:
(A) 20-99.5 wt % of a polymer matrix in the form of a thermoplastic polymer composition A comprising:
(A1) at least one copolymer C comprising monomers A-I and monomers A-II and optionally further monomers;
(A2) optionally one or more dyes F; and
(A3) optionally one or more assistants H; and
(B) 0.5-80 wt % of fibers B whose surface displays functional groups B-I which form a covalent bond with said monomers A-I, but not with said monomers A-II,
(C) 0-79.5 wt % of polymer D, and
(D) optionally one or more adhesion promoters,
wherein optionally the light transmission through said fiber composite material W is not less than 10% higher than with a comparable fiber composite material that is the same as the fiber composite material W except that monomers A-II fully replace said monomers A-I, and
wherein the flexural strength of said fiber composite material W is not less than 20% higher than with a comparable fiber composite material that is the same as the fiber composite material W except that monomers A-II fully replace said monomers A-I.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fiber composite material W as claimed in claim 1 wherein said copolymer C has a construction comprising not less than 0.1 wt of monomers A-I.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fiber composite material W as claimed in claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic polymer composition A comprises 90-99.5 wt % of said copolymer C.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The fiber composite material W as claimed in claim 1 wherein said monomers A-I are selected from the group consisting of maleic anhydride (MA), N-phenylmaleimide (PM), tert-butyl (meth)acrylate, and glycidyl (meth)acrylate (GM).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The fiber composite material W as claimed in claim 1 wherein said copolymer C is a styrene copolymer C comprising styrene (S) as monomers A-II.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The fiber composite material W as claimed in claim 1 wherein said functional groups B-I at the surface of said fibers B are selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl groups, ester groups, and amino groups.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The fiber composite material W as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fibers B embed into said fiber composite material W layerwise.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The fiber composite material W as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
(A) said polymer matrix A comprises not less than 75 wt % of styrene copolymer C, maleic anhydride (MA) as monomers A-I, styrene (S) as monomers A-II; and
(B) said fibers B are glass fibers displaying hydroxyl groups in the form of silanol groups as functional groups B-I on the surface,
wherein the MA moieties are at least partly esterified with the silanol groups on the surface of said fibers B.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The fiber composite material W as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light transmission through said fiber composite material W is not less than 15% higher than with a comparable fiber composite material that is the same as the fiber composite material W except that monomers A-II fully replace said monomers A-I.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The fiber composite material W as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flexural strength of said fiber composite material W is not less than 50% higher than with a comparable fiber composite material that is the same as the fiber composite material W except that monomers A-II fully replace said monomers A-I.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The fiber composite material W as claimed in claim 1 wherein no adhesion promoter from the group consisting of aminosilanes and epoxy compounds was used in the production of said fiber composite material W.

### Claim 12

A fiber composite material W obtained by a method comprising the steps of:
(i) providing:
(A) 20-99.5 wt % of a polymer matrix in the form of a thermoplastic polymer composition A comprising:
(A1) at least one copolymer C comprising monomers A-I and monomers A-II and optionally further monomers;
(A2) optionally one or more dyes F; and
(A3) optionally one or more assistants H; and
(B) 0.5-80 wt % of fibers B whose surface displays functional groups B-I which are capable of forming a covalent bond with said monomers A-I, but not with said monomers A-II;
(C) 0-79.5 wt % of polymer D, and
(D) optionally one or more adhesion promoters,
(ii) melting said thermoplastic polymer composition A and contacting same with said fibers B from step (i); and
(iii) reacting at least some of said monomers A-I of said copolymer C and at least some of said functional groups B-I of said fibers B from step (ii) to form covalent bonds,
wherein optionally the light transmission through said obtained fiber composite material W is not less than 10% higher than with a comparable fiber composite material that is the same as the fiber composite material W except that monomers A-II fully replace said monomers A-I, and
wherein the flexural strength of said fiber composite material W is not less than 20% higher than with a comparable fiber composite material that is the same as the fiber composite material W except that monomers A-II fully replace said monomers A-I.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The fiber composite material W as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fibers B are embed layerwise as wovens into said fiber composite material W and wherein no adhesion promoter from the group consisting of aminosilanes and epoxy compounds was used in the production of said fiber composite material W.