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US 7,691,305 B2Granted
Articles comprising a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composition
AssigneeDow Global Technologies LLC
InventorsTonja R. Sutton, Joanna G. Richardson
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Abstract
A method for making a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composition and forming a fabricated article therefrom. A thermoplastic polymer, a masterbatch comprising an elastomer and a reinforcing fiber material are compounded, extruded and immediately formed into a fabricated article. The fabricated article is formed by compression molding, vacuum forming, thermoforming, injection molding, blow molding, profile extrusion or combinations thereof.
Claims11
A method of making a fiber reinforced thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) composition and forming a fabricated article therefrom comprising the steps of:
- (1) introducing into an extruder a polyolefin polymer,
- (2) introducing into the extruder a masterbatch comprising a polyolefin elastomer,
- (3) plasticating the polyolefin polymer and the masterbatch in the extruder forming a molten thermoplastic polyolefin composition,
- (4) introducing a continuous reinforcing fiber material into the molten thermoplastic polyolefin composition,
- (5) extruding the molten fiber reinforced thermoplastic polyolefin composition through a die forming a continuous extrusion of heated fiber reinforced thermoplastic polyolefin composition having a desired cross-sectional shape,
- (6) conveying the continuous extrusion of heated fiber reinforced thermoplastic polyolefin composition to a cutter,
- (7) cutting the continuous extrusion into a plurality of preforms and
- (8) conveying the preforms away from said cutter into a compression mold, a vacuum forming mold or a thermoforming mold,
- and
- (9) forming a fabricated article comprising the fiber reinforced thermoplastic polyolefin composition.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.