Method of making a high filled fiber-mesh reinforced ceramic-thermoplastic polymer composites with outstanding mechanical performance

Abstract

Fiber-reinforced composite (e.g., for portable electronic devices), and methods of molding such fiber-reinforced composite parts. Such a fiber-reinforced composite part comprises one or more fiber layers and a plurality of ceramic particles within a polymer matrix such that ceramic particles and polymer are disposed above and below each of the fiber layer(s), with the ceramic particles comprising from 30% to 90% by volume of the composite part, the polymer matrix comprising from 6% to 50% by volume of the composite part, and the fiber layer(s) comprising from 1% to 40% by volume of the composite part; the ceramic particles having a Dv50 of from 50 nanometers to 100 micrometers; the ceramic particles being substantially free of agglomeration; and the composite part having a relative density greater than 90%. The present methods of molding such fiber-reinforced composite parts comprise: disposing one or more fiber layers in a working portion of a cavity in a mold such that the fiber layer(s) extends laterally across the composite part; and disposing ceramic particles and polymer above and below each of the fiber layer(s) in the working portion; heating the mold to a first temperature that exceeds a melting temperature (Tm) of the first polymer; subjecting the polymer, ceramic particles, and fiber layer(s) in the mold to a first pressure while maintaining the temperature of the mold to or above the first temperature to define a composite part in which the ceramic particles are substantially free of agglomeration; cooling the housing component to a temperature below the Tg or Tm of the first polymer; and removing the housing component from the mold. In some such methods, the core-shell particles comprise a ceramic core comprising a particle of a ceramic, and a polymer shell around the core, the shell comprising a polymer, where the ceramic cores comprise from 50% to 90% by volume of the powder, and the polymer shells comprise from 10% to 50% by volume of the powder. In such composite parts and methods, the ceramic particles comprise Al2O3, Fe3O4, Fe2O3, ZnO, ZrO2, SiO2, and/or a combination of any two or more of these ceramics; and the polymer comprises PPE, PPS, PC copolymers, PEI, PEI copolymers, PPSU, PAES, PES, PAEK, PBT, PP, PE, semi-crystalline PI, or semi-crystalline polyamide.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.