High strength polyvinylidene fluoride based sized reinforcing fibers
AssigneeArkema Inc.
InventorsGregory Scott O'BRIEN, Ramin AMIN-SANAYEI, Saeid ZERAFATI, James T. GOLDBACH
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Abstract
The invention relates to sized reinforcing fibers that comprise a reinforcing fiber sized with a fluoropolymer. The fluoropolymer is functionalized and/or the reinforcing fiber is sized with a compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer that is compatible with the fluoropolymer. Functionalization of the fluoropolymer or the compatible non-fluorinated polymer provides enhanced properties, such as increased adhesion to the reinforcing fiber.
Claims22
A sized reinforcing fiber comprising:
- a) a reinforcing fiber selected from the group consisting of carbon fiber, aramid fiber, and glass fiber;
- and
- b) at least one sizing selected from the group consisting of:
- i. a functionalized block vinylidene fluoride polymer (PVDF), wherein the functionalized PVDF block is a polyvinylidene polymer or copolymer, and the non-fluoropolymer block is a low molecular weight functional polymer wherein at least one functional group of the functionalized block PVDF is bonded to the reinforcing fiber,
- ii. both a fluoropolymer and a compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer, wherein at least one functional group of the compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer is bonded to the reinforcing fiber and
- iii. a functional PVDF copolymer comprising VDF monomer, optional fluorinated comonomer, and at least one functional comonomer, wherein at least one functional group of the copolymer is adhered to the reinforcing fiber.
A sized reinforcing fiber comprising:
- a) a reinforcing fiber selected from the group consisting of carbon fiber, aramid fiber, and glass fiber;
- b) a first sizing polymer containing at least one functional group;
- and
- c) at least one further sizing selected from the group consisting of:
- i. a functionalized vinylidene fluoride polymer (PVDF), wherein the functionalized PVDF is a polyvinylidene polymer or copolymer containing a low molecular weight functional polymer chain transfer agent, and wherein at least one functional group of the functionalized PVDF is bonded to the first sizing polymer;
- ii. both a fluoropolymer and a compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer, wherein at least one functional group of the compatible functional non-fluorinated polymer is bonded to the first sizing polymer;
- iii. a functional block copolymer having a fluoropolymer block and a functional non-fluoropolymer block, and
- iv. a functional PVDF copolymer comprising VDF monomer, optional fluorinated comonomer, and at least one functional comonomer such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic anhydride, etc., wherein at least one functional group of the polymer is adhered to the first sizing polymer.
A method of preparing sized carbon fiber comprising
- 1) activating a carbon fiber to form oxygen containing functional;
- and
- 2) sizing the carbon fiber with a functionalized PVDF containing at least one functional group;
- wherein the at least one functional group of the functionalized PVDF reacts with a C═O group of the carbon fiber to form a bond with the carbon fiber.
A method of preparing sized reinforcing fiber comprising sizing a reinforcing fiber sized with a first polymer, said first polymer containing at least one functional group with a functionalized PVDF containing at least one functional group, wherein the at least one functionalized group on the functionalized PVDF forms a bond with the at least one functional group of the first polymer.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.