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US 2017/0361546 A1Published application
Methods of producing thermoplastic composites using fabric-based thermoplastic prepregs
AssigneeJohns Manville
InventorsMingfu Zhang, Jawed Asrar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermoplastic product includes a fabric-based reinforcing sheet and a polymerized thermoplastic material. The fabric-based reinforcing sheet is wound about a mandrel to form a plurality of layers having a cross-sectional shape that corresponds to the mandrel. The fabric-based reinforcing sheet includes a plurality of fiber bundles, which may have a bidirectional orientation or configuration. A polymerized thermoplastic material is disposed within each layer of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet. The polymerized thermoplastic material bonds each layer of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet to an adjacent layer.
Claims24
A reinforced thermoplastic product comprising:
- a tube shaped main body having a hollow interior, the tube shaped main body comprising:
- a fabric-based reinforcing sheet that is wound about an axis of the tube shaped main body so as to form a plurality of circumferentially positioned layers, the fabric-based reinforcing sheet including a plurality of fiber bundles that are oriented along a first direction and a second direction having an angled orientation relative to the first direction;
- and
- a thermoplastic polymer material that is saturated within each of the circumferentially positioned layers of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet such that the thermoplastic polymer material fully impregnates each fiber bundle of the plurality of fiber bundles of each layer;
- wherein the layers of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet and the thermoplastic polymer material form a unitary thermoplastic product.
2 more elements
A thermoplastic product comprising:
- a main body comprising:
- a fabric-based reinforcing sheet that is wound about a mandrel to form a plurality of layers of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet having a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the mandrel, the fabric-based reinforcing sheet including a plurality of fiber bundles;
- and
- a polymerized thermoplastic material within each layer of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet, the polymerized thermoplastic material bonding each layer of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet to an adjacent layer of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet;
- wherein the plurality of layers of the fabric-based reinforcing sheet and the polymerized thermoplastic material form a unitary thermoplastic product.
2 more elements
A method of forming a reinforced thermoplastic product comprising:
- winding a thermoplastic prepreg about a mandrel to form a plurality of layers of the thermoplastic prepreg around the mandrel, the thermoplastic prepreg including:
- a plurality of fiber bundles;
- and
- a polymerized thermoplastic material that is disposed within each layer of the plurality of layers of the thermoplastic prepreg;
- applying heat to the thermoplastic prepreg as it is wound about the mandrel to at least partially melt or soften the polymerized thermoplastic material;
- applying pressure to the at least partially melted or softened polymerized thermoplastic material of the prepreg sheet;
- and
- welding an inner surface of an outer layer of the thermoplastic prepreg to an outer surface of an inner layer of the thermoplastic prepreg;
- wherein said method does not involve curing or polymerization.
6 more elements
A thermoplastic product comprising:
- a main body comprising:
- a plurality of layers of a woven fabric reinforcing sheet having a shape that corresponds to a substrate or a mold, each layer of the woven fabric reinforcing sheet including a plurality of fiber bundles that are oriented according to a first direction and a second direction having an angled orientation relative to the first direction;
- and
- a polymerized thermoplastic material that is saturated within each layer of the woven fabric reinforcing sheet such that the polymerized thermoplastic material fully impregnates each fiber bundle of the plurality of fiber bundles, the woven fabric reinforcing sheet and the polymerized thermoplastic material forming a unitary thermoplastic product.
1 more element
A method of forming a reinforced thermoplastic product comprising:
- positioning a thermoplastic prepreg atop one or more previously consolidated thermoplastic prepregs so that the thermoplastic prepreg forms an outer layer of the reinforced thermoplastic product, the thermoplastic prepreg including:
- a plurality of fiber bundles that are oriented according to a first direction and a second direction having an angled orientation relative to the first direction;
- and
- a polymerized thermoplastic material that fully impregnates each fiber bundle of the plurality of fiber bundles;
- moving a pressure application component along a top surface of the thermoplastic prepreg;
- applying heat and pressure to the thermoplastic prepreg as the pressure application component is moved along the top surface thereof to at least partially melt or soften the polymerized thermoplastic material;
- and
- welding the thermoplastic prepreg to the previously consolidated thermoplastic prepregs;
- wherein said method does not involve curing or polymerization.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.