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US 2003/0151171 A1Published application
Fiber reinforced thermoplastic pressure vessels
OwnerEdward T. LeBreton, Koen Vanherckinventors
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing hollow, fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite articles, such as a pressure vessel, is disclosed. The thermoplastic binder is chosen to bind the reinforcing fibers together, to provide strength, and to provide ease of manufacture. The method includes placing a preform with an inflatable core into a mold, pressurizing the inflatable core, and heating the mold to enable the thermoplastic binder to melt and distribute throughout the preform, binding the reinforcing fibers. The article is then cooled and removed from the mold, resulting in a hollow molded article. The inflatable core may be removed from the article and reused, or the core may become an integral part of the finished article.
Claims34
A method of making hollow, reinforced plastic composite articles, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing:
- i) a hollow preform of reinforcing fibers intimately intermixed with a thermoplastic material, said preform having a cylindrical sidewall portion, a domed bottom portion, and a domed top portion, and
- ii) a rigid mold having a cylindrical sidewall portion and domed end portions corresponding to said preform portions;
- b) positioning said preform against the inner surface of said corresponding mold portions;
- c) compressing said preform with an internally pressurized, inflatable core having a cylindrical sidewall portion, and top and bottom dome portions to hold said preform in place;
- d) heating said preform to a temperature sufficient to melt said thermoplastic material while the pressure in said inflatable core compresses said preform and maintains the distribution of the thermoplastic material throughout said preform to provide a fiber reinforced molded article;
- f) cooling said molded article until said thermoplastic material is substantially solid;
- g) reducing the pressure in said inflatable core;
- and
- h) removing said molded article from said mold.
7 more elements
A method of making hollow, reinforced plastic composite articles, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing:
- i) a hollow preform comprised of reinforcing fibers intimately intermixed with a thermoplastic material, said preform having a cylindrical sidewall portion, a domed bottom portion, and a domed top portion;
- ii) a hollow plastic liner within said preform, said liner having a cylindrical sidewall portion, a domed bottom portion, and a domed top portion;
- and
- iii) a rigid mold having a cylindrical sidewall portion and domed end portions corresponding to said preform portions;
- b) positioning said preform against the inner surface of said corresponding mold portions;
- c) heating said preform sufficient to melt said thermoplastic material and distribute the thermoplastic material throughout said preform to provide a fiber reinforced molded article;
- d) cooling said molded article until said thermoplastic material is substantially solid;
- and
- e) removing said molded article from said mold.
7 more elements
A method of making hollow, reinforced plastic composite articles, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing:
- i) a hollow preform of glass reinforcing fibers approximately one inch long intimately intermixed with thermoplastic fibers approximately two inches long, wherein the ratio of glass fibers to resin fibers is approximately 3:2 uniformly throughout said preform, said preform having a cylindrical sidewall portion, a domed bottom portion, and a domed top portion, and
- ii) a rigid mold having a cylindrical sidewall portion and domed end portions corresponding to said preform portions;
- b) positioning said preform against the inner surface of said corresponding mold portions;
- c) compressing said preform with an internally pressurized, flexible inflatable core having a cylindrical sidewall portion, and top and bottom dome portions to hold said preform in place;
- d) heating said preform to approximately 400 degrees F. while maintaining that temperature for between 20 and 60 minutes, while also increasing the pressure in said inflatable core to approximately 25-30 psi to compress said preform and maintain the distribution of the thermoplastic material throughout said preform to provide a substantially void free fiber reinforced molded article;
- f) cooling said molded article until said thermoplastic material is substantially solid;
- g) reducing the pressure in said inflatable core;
- h) removing said molded article from said mold;
- and
- i) removing said inflatable core from the molded article.
8 more elements
A method of making hollow, reinforced plastic composite articles, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing:
- i) a hollow preform of glass reinforcing fibers intermixed with thermoplastic material, said preform having a filament wound cylindrical sidewall portion, a filament wound domed bottom portion, and a filament wound domed top portion, wherein said cylindrical sidewall portion overlaps each geodesic domed portion;
- and
- ii) a rigid mold having a cylindrical sidewall portion and domed end portions corresponding to said preform portions;
- b) positioning said preform against the inner surface of said corresponding mold portions;
- c) compressing said preform with an internally pressurized, flexible inflatable core having a cylindrical sidewall portion, and top and bottom dome portions to hold said preform in place;
- d) heating said preform to approximately 400 degrees F. while maintaining that temperature for between 20 and 60 minutes, while also increasing the pressure in said inflatable core to approximately 25-30 psi to compress said preform and maintain the distribution of the thermoplastic material throughout said preform to provide a substantially void free fiber reinforced molded article;
- f) cooling said molded article until said thermoplastic material is substantially solid;
- g) reducing the pressure in said inflatable core;
- h) removing said molded article from said mold;
- and
- i) removing said inflatable core from the molded article.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.