Amorphous polymer article
AssigneeBTG International Limited
InventorsIan M Ward, Peter J Hine
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Abstract
The present invention provides an amorphous polymer article produced by hot compaction and a method of producing the same. The article is heated to a temperature and maintained at a pressure sufficient to cause softening of the polymer strands to sufficient a degree to allow bonding to adjacent fibres to take place without actually transforming the polymer into a liquid state.
Claims20
A method of producing an article comprising the steps:
- d) providing a raw material in the form of a plurality of polymer elements;
- e) heating said material to above a first predetermined temperature;
- and
- f) compacting said material whilst above said first predetermined temperature, characterised in that:
- said raw material comprises an amorphous polymer and said temperature and pressure of compaction are sufficient to cause the polymer elements to bond to each other without melting of the inner portion of one or more of the elements.
A method as claimed in which said predetermined temperature comprises a temperature a predetermined value above the Tg temperature of the polymer.
A method as claimed in any one of the previous claims including the further steps of:
- (vi) raising the temperature from a first, lower, temperature to a second, higher, temperature at a first rate over a first period of time;
- (vii) holding the temperature at said second temperature for a second period of time;
- (viii) raising the temperature from the second temperature to a third, higher, temperature at a second rate over a third period of time;
- (ix) holding the temperature at said third temperature for a further period of time;
- and
- (x) reducing the temperature from said third temperature in accordance with a predetermined cooling strategy.
A method substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
An article comprising a hot compaction of amorphous polymer material.
An article comprising an amorphous polymer in which the filaments/elements thereof are bonded to each other by means of the application of an elevated temperature and pressure.
An article comprising soft bonded elements of amorphous polymer material.
An article substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.