Composite Fibers and Method of Producing Fibers
OwnerOleksandr Biland, Robert Fergusoninventors
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Abstract
Composite fibers created by a process including vertically texturizing and impregnating resin into the fibers at controlled viscosity results in stronger fibers in which virtually no microbubbles are trapped resulting in improved tensile strength for use in reinforcing concrete and other materials.
Claims30
A method of producing composite fibers, said method comprising feeding a plurality of fiber strands vertically down through a texturizer to obtain texturized fibers, wherein the texturized fibers are untrained;
- vertically feeding the texturized fibers down through an injection device;
- injecting resin into the injection device at a viscosity of 5 mPa*S or less;
- rotating the plurality of fibers in the injection device, effective to twist the fibers into a bundle where the twisting point is below the level of resin in the injection device while allowing at least a portion of any trapped gases to rise to the surface of the resin;
- squeezing the twisted bundle with squeezing rollers inside the injection device effective to further release any trapped gases to rise to the surface of the resin;
- removing the bundle from the bottom of the device by pulling the bundle;
- pulling the bundle into a first curing station;
- pulling the bundle through shaping grips in which the shaping grips are adapted to:
- (i) pull the bundle from the first curing station,
- (ii) impart a shape to the bundle and
- (iii) push the bundle without tension out of the shaping grips;
- and
- pushing the bundle from the shaping grips to ugh a second curing station without tensioning the bundle.
Fibers produced by a process comprising;
- vertically feeding a plurality of unstained text rued fibers down through a device;
- injecting resin into the device at a viscosity of from 1 to 5 mPa*S;
- rotating the plurality of fibers effective to twist all the fibers into a bundle where the twisting point is below the level of resin in the device while allowing at least a portion of any trapped eases to rise to the surface of the resin;
- squeezing the bundle with squeezing rollers inside the device effective to further release any trapped gases to rise to the surface of the resin;
- removing the bundle from the bottom of the device by pulling the bundle though tension rollers;
- pulling the bundle into a first curing station;
- pulling the bundle through shaping grips that pull the bundle from the first curing station, impart a shape to the bundle and push the bundle without tension out of the shaping grips;
- and
- pushing the bundle from the shaping grips through a second curing station without tensioning the bundle.
An apparatus for processing fibers in a continuous process, said apparatus comprising:
- one or more devices for holding a basalt fiber roving spool;
- a rotating table disposed below the one or more devices for holding a basalt roving spool;
- one or more air flow texts hers disposed below the rotating table;
- a resin injection device disposed below said texturizers;
- a resin stabilizer in fluid connection with said resin injection device;
- a resin mixing and metering device in fluid communication with said resin stabilizer,
- a tensioning roller disposed below the resin injection device;
- a first curing tunnel downstream of the tensioning roller;
- a second curing tunnel downstream of the first curing tunnel;
- shaping grips disposed between said first curing tunnel and said second curing tunnel, adapted to pull a bundle of fibers from the first coxing station, impart a shape to the bundle and push the bundle into said second curing station without tensioning the bundle;
- and
- a cutting station downstream of said second curing tunnel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.