Back to results
US 2020/0262182 A1Published application
Composite materials, vehicle applications and methods thereof
AssigneeProductive Research LLC
InventorsBryan Joseph Tullis, Peter Isaac Bortell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The teachings herein relate to improved composite materials offering weight reduction which are capable of withstanding automotive paint bake ovens.
Claims20
A composite material comprising:
- i) a first steel layer;
- ii) a second steel layer;
- iii) a polymeric core layer interposed between and attached to the first and second steel layers;
- wherein a thickness of the polymeric core layer is about 0.1 mm or more, and a ratio of the thickness of the polymeric core layer to a thickness of the composite material is about 0.25 or more and about 0.90 or less;
- wherein the polymeric core layer includes one or more polymers and one or more fillers selected and arranged so that the polymeric core layer has a low shear flow value of about 0.04 g or less, as measured at 177° C. for 30 minutes with a mass of 0.91 kg on a 5.1 mm×5.1 mm specimen;
- preferably wherein the polymeric core layer is characterized by a melt flow rate, measured at 190° C./2.16 kg, of about 2 g/10 min or less (preferably about 1.5 g/10 min or less, more preferably about 1.0 g/10 min or less, and even more preferably about 0.8 g/10 min or less).
3 more elements
A composite material comprising:
- i) a first steel layer having a tensile yield strength of 240 MPa or more and a thickness of about 0.55 mm or more;
- ii) a second steel layer having a tensile yield strength of less than 220 MPa and a thickness of about 0.40 mm or less;
- iii) a polymeric core layer interposed between and attached to the first and second steel layers;
- wherein a thickness of the polymeric core layer is about 0.1 mm or more and a ratio of the thickness of the polymeric core layer to a thickness of the composite material is about 0.25 or more and about 0.90 or less;
- wherein the polymeric layer includes or consists of a polymer matrix having a melting temperature of 180° C. or more, a glass transition temperature of 180° C. or more, or a cross-linked structure that prevents flow at 180° C.
2 more elements
The automotive part of claim 17, wherein the automotive part is a vehicle bumper or a vehicle bumper fascia, or a vehicle battery cover.
The automotive part of claim 18, wherein the part deforms by less than about 1%, after thermal cycling through a paint bake cycle,
- optionally, wherein the paint bake cycle includes heating from about 25° C. to about 190° C., over a time of about 20 minutes, holding at about 190° C. for about 10 minutes, and cooling to about 25° C., over a time of about 15 minutes;
- optionally wherein any change in the spacing between the first steel sheet and the second steel sheet after 30 minutes at 177° C. is about 5% or less (e.g., at all locations of the composite material);
- optionally, wherein a surface of the first steel sheet has a chrome plating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.