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US 11,840,800 B2Granted
High strength polyvinylidene fluoride based sized reinforcing fibers
AssigneeArkema Inc.
InventorsGregory Scott O'Brien, Ramin Amin-Sanayei, Saeid Zerafati, James T. Goldbach
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Abstract
The invention relates to sized reinforcing fibers that comprise a reinforcing fiber sized with a fluoropolymer. The fluoropolymer is functionalized and/or the reinforcing fiber is sized with a compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer that is compatible with the fluoropolymer. Functionalization of the fluoropolymer or the compatible non-fluorinated polymer provides enhanced properties, such as increased adhesion to the reinforcing fiber.
Claims19
A sized reinforcing fiber comprising:
- a) a reinforcing fiber selected from the group consisting of carbon fiber, aramid fiber, and glass fiber;
- and
- b) at least one sizing comprising functionalized polymer said polymer selected from the group consisting of:
- i) both a functionalized vinylidene fluoride polymer (PVDF polymer), and a compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer, wherein the functionalized PVDF polymer is a copolymer comprising copolymerized fluoromonomer and functional comonomer or is a functionalized block PVDF polymer having a PVDF polymer block and a low molecular weight functional polymer block, wherein at least one functional group of the compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer is bonded to the reinforcing fiber, and
- ii) a functionalized PVDF copolymer and a compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer, comprising VDF monomer, copolymerized with optional fluorinated comonomer, and at least one functional comonomer, wherein at least one functional group of the PVDF copolymer is adhered to the reinforcing fiber,
- wherein the functionalized PVDF is not grafted with maleic anhydride, wherein the functionalized PVDF is fluorosurfactant free and wherein the fluoromonomers in the PVDF are vinylidene fluoride (VDF), and the optional fluorinated comonomer is selected from the group consisting of, tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), trifluoroethylene (TrFE), chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), hexafluoropropene (HFP), 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, 3,3,3-trifluoropropene, vinyl fluoride (VF), pentafluoropropene, perfluoromethyl vinyl ether (PMVE), perfluoropropylvinyl ether, hydrophilic monomers containing a fluorine atom and combinations thereof,
- wherein at least one functional group of the compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer is bonded to the reinforcing fiber and wherein the compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer is a functional acrylic copolymer including at least one methacrylic acid monomer and at least one methyl methacrylate monomer.
4 more elements
A sized reinforcing fiber comprising:
- a) a reinforcing fiber selected from the group consisting of carbon fiber and aramid fiber;
- b) a first sizing polymer containing at least one functional group;
- and
- c) at least one further sizing comprising functionalized polymer said polymer selected from the group consisting of:
- i) a functionalized vinylidene fluoride polymer (PVDF), containing a low molecular weight functional polymer chain transfer agent, and wherein at least one functional group of the functionalized PVDF is bonded to the first sizing polymer;
- ii) both a functionalized PVDF polymer and a compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer, wherein at least one functional group of the compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer is bonded to the first sizing polymer;
- and
- iii) a functionalized PVDF copolymer comprising VDF monomer, optional fluorinated comonomer, and at least one functional comonomer, wherein at least one functional group of the PVDF copolymer is adhered to the first sizing polymer,
- wherein the functionalized PVDF is not grafted with maleic anhydride, and wherein the fluoromonomers in the PVDF are selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride (VDF), tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), trifluoroethylene (TrFE), chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), hexafluoropropene (HFP), 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, 3,3,3-trifluoropropene, vinyl fluoride (VF), pentafluoropropene, perfluoromethyl vinyl ether (PMVE), perfluoropropylvinyl ether and hydrophilic monomers containing a fluorine atom.
6 more elements
A method of preparing sized carbon fiber comprising
- 1) Activating a carbon fiber to form oxygen or amine containing functional groups on the carbon fiber;
- and
- 2) Sizing the carbon fiber with a functionalized PVDF containing at least one functional group;
- wherein the functionalized PVDF is a copolymer comprising copolymerized fluoromonomer and functional comonomer or is a functionalized block PVDF having a PVDF block and a low molecular weight functional polymer block, and is not grafted with maleic anhydride,
- wherein the at least one functional group of the functionalized PVDF reacts with the functional group on the carbon fiber to form a bond with the carbon fiber.
2 more elements
A method of preparing sized reinforcing fiber comprising sizing a reinforcing fiber sized with a first polymer, said first polymer containing at least one functional group, with a functionalized PVDF containing at least one functional group, wherein the at least one functionalized group on the functionalized PVDF forms a bond with the at least one functional group of the first polymer.
A sized reinforcing fiber comprising:
- a) a reinforcing fiber selected from the group consisting of carbon fiber, aramid fiber, and glass fiber;
- and
- b) at least one sizing comprising functionalized polymer said functionalized polymer comprising
- both a functionalized PVDF polymer, and a compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer, wherein the functionalized PVDF polymer is a copolymer comprising copolymerized vinylidene fluoride and functional comonomer or is a functionalized block PVDF having a PVDF block and a low molecular weight functional polymer block,
- wherein at least one functional group of the compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer is bonded to the reinforcing fiber, and
- wherein at least one functional group of the compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer is bonded to the reinforcing fiber and wherein the compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer is a functional acrylic copolymer including at least one methacrylic acid monomer and at least one methyl methacrylate monomer.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.