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US 2020/0269529 A1Published application
Manufacturing fiber-reinforced thermoplastic concentrates
AssigneeJohns Manville
InventorDaniel P De Kock
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fully impregnated fiber-reinforced thermoplastic granule includes a fiber core impregnated with a thermoplastic resin and coated with the resin and subsequently polymerized to form a thermoplastic. The granule is formed in a continuous process including a continuous fiber strand being coated and impregnated with a thermoplastic resin, curing the thermoplastic resin, and cutting the fiber and thermoplastic into granules of a desired length. The continuous process results in a uniform, fully impregnated fiber core in the granule which results in a longer reinforcing fiber for added strength in subsequently produced products formed from the granules.
Claims28
A system for producing a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material, the system comprising:
- a mechanism for moving at least one fiber strand continuously lengthwise through the system;
- an impregnation die positioned along a path of the at least one fiber strand, the impregnation die having one or more channels through which the at least one fiber strand passes as the at least one fiber strand is moved along the path through the system;
- an impregnation mechanism that is positioned within the impregnation die, the impregnation mechanism being configured to introduce a monomer into the one or more channels so that the monomer contacts and fully impregnates the at least one fiber strand as the fiber strand is moved through the one or more channels;
- a curing oven located downstream of the impregnation die and along the path of the at least one fiber strand such that the fiber strand is moved through the curing oven, the curing oven being configured to polymerize the monomer and thereby form the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material;
- a cutter located along the path of the at least one fiber strand downstream of the curing oven, the cutter being configured to cut the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material into lengths of between 1 and 100 mm;
- and
- wherein a portion of the one or more channels of the impregnation die is oriented or angled downward so that an egress of the impregnation die is positioned vertically below the impregnation mechanism thereby limiting backflow of the monomer within the impregnation die.
4 more elements
A system for producing a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material, the system comprising:
- a belt that is configured to move a plurality of fiber strands continuously lengthwise through the system, the belt having a plurality of channels that extend lengthwise along the belt, wherein each channel is configured to receive one of the plurality of fiber strands so that each fiber strand is oriented parallel to an adjacent fiber strand and is spaced apart from an adjacent fiber strand as the plurality of fiber strands are moved through the system;
- an injection die having a plurality of injection nozzles, wherein each injection nozzle is positioned above a corresponding channel of the belt and wherein each injection nozzle is configured to introduce a monomer into the corresponding channel of the belt as the belt and plurality of fiber strands are moved past the injection die so that the monomer fully impregnates the plurality of fiber strands;
- a curing oven through which the belt and plurality of fiber strands pass after the monomer is introduced to the fiber strands via the injection die, the curing oven being configured to polymerize the monomer to create the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material;
- and
- a cutter located downstream of the curing oven and configured to cut the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material into a desired length.
2 more elements
A system for producing a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material, the system comprising:
- a belt configured to move a plurality of continuous fibers lengthwise along the belt with each of the plurality of continuous fibers spaced apart from an adjacent continuous fiber, the belt having lateral edges that are configured to retain a monomer atop the belt and between the lateral edges so that the monomer remains in contact with the plurality of continuous fibers;
- an injection die configured to introduce the monomer onto the belt as the plurality of continuous fibers are moved past the injection die so that the monomer fully impregnates the plurality of continuous fibers;
- a curing oven through which the belt and the plurality of continuous fibers pass after the monomer is introduced to the plurality of continuous fibers via the injection die, the curing oven configured to polymerize the monomer to form the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material;
- and
- a first cutting mechanism that is positioned distally of the curing oven and that is configured to cut the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material perpendicular to an axis of the continuous fibers to produce strips of the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material.
2 more elements
A fiber-reinforced thermoplastic granule comprising:
- a granule body having a distal end and a proximal end wherein the granule body comprises:
- a thermoplastic material;
- and
- a continuous fiber strand or segment that extends from the distal end to the proximal end of the granule body;
- wherein the continuous fiber strand or segment is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic material.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.