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US 12,365,778 B2Granted
Methods of improving lofting agent retention using bicomponent fibers
AssigneeHanwha Azdel, Inc.
InventorRuomiao Wang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods of forming a lightweight reinforced thermoplastic core layer and articles including the core layer are described. In some examples, the methods use a combination of thermoplastic material, reinforcing fibers and bicomponent fibers to enhance retention of lofting agents in the core layer. The processes permit the use of less material while still providing sufficient lofting capacity in the final formed core layer.
Claims20
A method of producing a porous composite article comprising:
- combining inorganic reinforcing fibers, organic reinforcing fibers, and a thermoplastic material in a liquid to produce an aqueous foam, wherein the organic reinforcing fibers comprise a side-by-side arrangement, wherein a first fiber in the side-by-side arrangement comprises a melting point that is the same as, or differs by one to ten degrees from, a melting point of the thermoplastic material, and wherein a second fiber of the side-by-side arrangement comprises a melting point that is at least twenty degrees Celsius higher than the melting point of the thermoplastic material;
- depositing the aqueous foam onto a moving wire screen;
- removing liquid from the deposited aqueous foam on the moving wire screen to form a web of open cell structures formed from the thermoplastic material, the inorganic reinforcing fibers and the organic reinforcing fibers;
- depositing a lofting agent onto the formed web;
- and
- compressing the formed web comprising the deposited lofting agent to provide a porous composite article with free loft from retention of the deposited lofting agent in the porous composite article by the organic reinforcing fibers.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.