Extrusion grade perlite reinforced polypropylene polymer
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsPaul Kenneth Dellock, Stuart C. Salter, Richard Gall, David Brian Glickman, Michael A. Musleh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention disclosed herein is an automotive acoustic panel including a porous sound-absorption material made from a polymer and an expanded perlite. One or more silane compounds may be coupled or coated onto the expanded perlite while a coupling agent and a chemical foaming agent may additionally be added to the automotive acoustic panel.
Claims20
A method of forming an acoustic panel, the method comprising:
- providing an expanded perlite treated with one or more silane compounds;
- providing a polymer, wherein the polymer comprises a chemical foaming agent at a concentration of about 6.0% by weight of the acoustic panel to about 20% by weight of the acoustic panel;
- combining the polymer and the expanded perlite to form a porous sound-absorption material;
- pressing the porous sound-absorption material using a double belt press to form a perlite composite sheet;
- and
- thermoforming the perlite composite sheet using at least one of a vacuum and mechanical mold to form the acoustic panel.
A method of forming an automotive acoustic panel, the method comprising:
- providing an expanded perlite treated with one or more silane compounds and a coupling agent, wherein the coupling agent is present at a concentration of about 1.0% to about 5.0% by weight of the acoustic panel;
- providing a polymer, wherein the polymer comprises a chemical foaming agent at a concentration of about 6.0% by weight of the acoustic panel to about 20% by weight of the acoustic panel;
- combining the polymer and the expanded perlite to form a porous sound-absorption material;
- pressing the porous sound-absorption material using a double belt press to form a perlite composite sheet;
- and
- thermoforming the perlite composite sheet to form the automotive acoustic panel.
A method of forming an automotive acoustic panel, the method comprising:
- providing an expanded perlite treated with one or more silane compounds and a coupling agent;
- wherein the coupling agent is about 1.0% to about 5.0% by weight of the automotive acoustic panel;
- providing a base polymer comprising at least 80% by weight of the automotive acoustic panel;
- combining the base polymer and the expanded perlite to form a porous sound-absorption material;
- pressing the porous sound-absorption material using a double belt press to form a perlite composite sheet;
- and
- thermoforming the perlite composite sheet to form the automotive acoustic panel using at least one of a vacuum and mechanical mold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.