System for producing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg
AssigneeJohns Manville
InventorsMingfu Zhang, Jawed Asrar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermoplastic prepreg includes a mat, web, or fabric of fibers and hollow glass microspheres that are positioned atop the mat, web, or fabric of fibers or dispersed therein. The thermoplastic prepreg also includes a thermoplastic polymer that is fully impregnated through the mat, web, or fabric of fibers and the hollow glass microspheres so that the thermoplastic prepreg has a void content of less than 3% by volume of the thermoplastic prepreg. The thermoplastic material is polymerized monomers and oligomers in which greater than 90% by weight of the monomers or oligomers react to form the thermoplastic material.
Claims20
A system for manufacturing a thermoplastic prepreg, the system comprising:
- a double belt mechanism that includes an upper belt and a lower belt, the upper belt being positioned atop the lower belt to compress a fiber mat or web that is passed through the double belt mechanism and the lower belt having a longitudinal length that is substantially longer than the upper belt;
- a resin applicator that is positioned atop the lower belt and that is configured to apply monomers or oligomers to the fiber mat or web as the fiber mat or web is moved past the resin applicator, wherein the monomers or oligomers are polymerizable to form a thermoplastic polymer;
- an application mechanism that is positioned atop the lower belt and that is configured to apply a light weight filler material to the fiber mat or web as the fiber mat or web is moved past the application mechanism;
- and
- a curing oven that is configured to effect polymerization of the monomers or oligomers and thereby form the thermoplastic polymer as the fiber mat or web is moved through the curing oven;
- wherein:
- the fiber mat or web includes chopped fibers;
- and
- the double belt mechanism compresses the fiber mat or web and the applied monomers or oligomers as these materials are passed through the curing oven such that the monomers or oligomers fully saturate the fiber mat or web and thereby effect a full impregnation of the fiber mat or web with the thermoplastic polymer upon polymerization of the monomers or oligomers.
A system for manufacturing a thermoplastic prepreg, the system comprising:
- a double belt mechanism that includes an upper belt and a lower belt, the upper belt being positioned atop the lower belt to compress a fiber mat or web that is passed through the double belt mechanism and the lower belt having a longitudinal length that is substantially longer than the upper belt;
- a resin applicator that is positioned atop the lower belt and that is configured to apply monomers or oligomers to the fiber mat or web as the fiber mat or web is moved past the resin applicator, wherein the monomers or oligomers are polymerizable to form a thermoplastic polymer;
- and
- a curing oven that is configured to effect polymerization of the monomers or oligomers and thereby form the thermoplastic polymer as the fiber mat or web is moved through the curing oven;
- wherein:
- the fiber mat or web includes chopped fibers;
- the resin applicator is further configured to apply a lightweight filler material atop the fiber mat or web;
- the lightweight filler material is hollow glass microspheres;
- the hollow glass microspheres are added to the monomers or oligomers such that the hollow glass microspheres are applied to the fiber mat or web simultaneously with the monomers or oligomers;
- and
- the double belt mechanism compresses the fiber mat or web and the applied monomers or oligomers as these materials are passed through the curing oven such that the monomers or oligomers fully saturate the fiber mat or web and thereby effect a full impregnation of the fiber mat or web with the thermoplastic polymer upon polymerization of the monomers or oligomers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.