Pupunha-reinforced polypropylene composite
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsCristiano Grings Herbert, Rodrigo Denizarte de Oliveira Polkowski, Cristiane Carla Gonçalves, Angelo Nogueira Aguiar, Jodalva Guimarães Freire de Souza, Helano Lima dos Santos, Oberti dos Santos Almeida, Alper Kiziltas, Paulo Roberto Tavares Oliveira, Fernando Martins Rezende
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for a composite material. In one example, the composite material includes a polymer base reinforced with a powder formed from pupunha fibers. The resulting composite material is provided as pellets for further processing.
Claims20
A composite material comprising:
- a polymer base;
- and
- fibrils of micro-cellulose formed from milled and dried pupunha fibers and having diameters within a first range of 0.5 to 2 μm and lengths within a second range of 7 to 13 μm;
- wherein the composite material is provided as pellets.
A natural fiber-reinforced composite, comprising:
- pupunha fibers dispersed into a polypropylene matrix as a powder, the pupunha fibers having diameters within a range of 0.5 to 2 μm and lengths within a range of 7 to 13 μm, wherein the pupunha fibers are extracted from a stem shell and leaves of a pupunha plant.
A method for forming a composite, comprising:
- drying pupunha shells and leaves;
- milling the dried pupunha shells and leaves a first time;
- milling the dried pupunha shells and leaves a second time, wherein after the second milling, fibers formed from the twice milled shells and leaves have diameters within a first range of 0.5 to 2 μm and lengths within a second range of 7 to 13 μm;
- mixing the fibers into a polymer;
- and forming pellets from the mixture of the fibers and the polymer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.