Owens Corning Fiberglas Technology, Inc.

Hercules Corporation

Parker-hannifin Corporation

Owens Fiberglas Technology, Inc.

Andrew B Woodside

David L Shipp

David R Hartman

Margaret M Woodside

Joan T Muellerleile

Frank J Macdonald

Douglas Brian Mann

Leonard Joseph Adzima

Larry J Huey

James V Gauchel

Brian J Swetlin

Anita N Chan

David George Miller

Samuel A Thompson, Iii

Frank MacDonald

Dale E McCoy

Chester R Willis

Peggy M Woodside

Catherine Ashley Barron

Raymond T Liebfried

The present invention relates to composites useful for shielding electromagnetic radiation and their manufacture. In general, the composites of the present invention comprise conductive fibers which are highly dispersed in a polymer matrix. The invention also relates to pellets and their manufacture. Such pellets are useful in the manufacture of composites comprising highly dispersed conductive fibers in a polymer matrix.

Composites comprising fibers dispersed in a polymer matrix having improved shielding with lower amounts of conducive fiber

In one general aspect, the invention involves applying a chemical treatment to fibers, such as reinforcing fibers suitable for making a composite article, so as to size and/or preimpregnate the fibers. The chemical treatment has a relatively low viscosity and is substantially solvent-free and non-radiation curable. Heat energy may be employed to lower the viscosity and improve the wetting ability of the applied treatment and/or to increase the molecular weight of, or otherwise cure, the treatment with essentially no generation of solvent vapor. The treated fibers are used to form a composite strand, which may be subsequently processed in-line or off-line into a composite article having fibers disposed in a polymeric matrix. Another general aspect relates to encased composite strands, in thread or pellet form, and to wire-coating methods and apparatus for making them. The strands are moldable into fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite articles. Each strand is made from fibers, including reinforcing fibers and optionally fibers of a matrix material, that are impregnated with a chemical treatment so that the treatment is disposed between substantially all of the fibers.

Chemical treatments for fibers and wire-coated composite strands for molding fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite articles

A method is disclosed for forming coated fibers suitable for making a composite article. A plurality of fibers are coated with an aqueous- or non-aqueous-based chemical treatment containing a curable resin such that the resin on the fibers is in a partially cured or uncured state. The coated fibers may then be formed into a composite article in a subsequent forming operation, for example, by filament winding, pultrusion, weaving, knitting, or extrusion coating. The strand of fibers may also be shaped into a preform which can be used in resin transfer molding (RTM) and injection molding processes.

Method for forming pre-impregnated fibers suitable for processing into a composite article

Chemical treatments for fibers

A method and apparatus is disclosed for the in-line pre-impregnation of glass or synthetic fibers with a non-aqueous chemical treatment. The apparatus includes a first applicator for applying a curable, non-aqueous chemical treatment agent and a second applicator for applying a curing agent for the chemical treatment agent. The fibers are passed over the first and second applicators which are arranged either in parallel or in series, and are then joined by a gathering device to initiate curing of the chemical treatment agent on the fibers. In an alternative embodiment, the apparatus includes a spray gun in which a mixture of the non-aqueous chemical treatment agent and curing agent are sprayed onto an applicator roll in contact with the fibers.

Method and apparatus for the in-line impregnation of fibers with a

A nonaqueous sizing for glass fibers useful for reinforcement of polymers. The sizing composition comprises one or more film formers miscible with the polymer to be reinforced and one or more coupling agents. The sizing composition of the invention provides a glass fiber which may be wirecoated with the polymer to be reinforced, eliminating the need for extrusion or pultrusion processing to make glass/polymer composite fibers, compound or pellets.

Nonaqueous sizing system for glass fibers and injection moldable polymers

Chemical treatments for fibers and wire-coated composite strands for

A method is disclosed for forming pre-impregnated fibers suitable for making a composite article. A plurality of fibers (14) are pre-impregnated with about 50% by weight of an aqueous-based chemical treatment containing a curable resin, and then contacted with a drying device (41) which effects drying of the chemical treatment without effecting full curing of the resin. The pre-impregnated fibers may then be formed into a composite article in a subsequent forming operation, for example, by filament winding, pultrusion, weaving, knitting, or extrusion coating.

In-line processing of continuous glass fibers with thermoset solution

A method and apparatus are provided for forming a fabric, suitable for mailing a finished composite product, using one or more composite strands. One embodiment of the apparatus comprises at least one bushing for forming reinforcing fibers; supply equipment for supplying matrix fibers; at least one applicator for applying bonding size (i.e., bonding chemical treatment) to the fibers; a gathering mechanism for gathering the treated fibers into at least one composite strand; a pulling mechanism for pulling the at least one composite strand; and a fabric forming mechanism for forming a fabric using the at least one composite strand. One embodiment of the method comprises the steps of drawing a plurality of reinforcing fibers; supplying a plurality of preformed matrix fibers; applying bonding size directly to the reinforcing fibers and the matrix fibers from one or more applicators at least before the reinforcing fibers are gathered together into a strand; gathering the fibers together into at least one composite strand; and forming the at least one composite strand into a unidirectional fabric. The resulting unidirectional fabric comprises a plurality of stitching threads and a continuous glass/polymer composite strand in the form of a plurality of transverse loops. The composite strand can comprise a plurality of first reinforcing fibers drawn from a bushing of molten glass, a plurality of preformed matrix fibers made from a polymer matrix material, and bonding size which bonds together the fibers of the composite strand.

Manufacture of a undirectional composite fabric

A method is disclosed for forming pre-impregnated fibers suitable for making a composite article. A plurality of fibers (14) are pre-impregnated with about 50 % by weight of an aqueous-based chemical treatment containing a curable resin, and then contacted with a drying device (41) which effects drying of the chemical treatment without effecting full curing of the resin. The pre-impregnated fibers may then be formed into a composite article in a subsequent forming operation, for example, by filament winding, pultrusion, weaving, knitting, or extrusion coating.

In-line processing of continous glass fibers with thermoset solution

A method and apparatus is disclosed for the in-line pre-impregnation of glass or synthetic fibers with a non-aqueous chemical treatment. The apparatus includes a first applicator for applying a curable, non-aqueous chemical treatment agent and a second applicator for applying a curing agent for the chemical treatment agent. The fibers are passed over the first and second applicators which are arranged either in parallel or in series, and are then joined by a gathering device to initiate curing of the chemical treatment agent on the fibers. In an alternative embodiment, the apparatus comprises a spray gun in which a mixture of the non-aqueous chemical treatment agent and curing agent are sprayed onto an applicator roll in contact with the fibers.

A method and apparatus are provided for producing composite strands. The apparatus comprises a heated bushing for supplying streams of molten glass to be drawn into continuous first fibers; a drawing device adapted to draw the streams into the first fibers; supply equipment for supplying one or more second fibers of a second material; one or more applicators for applying a size to the first and second fibers; and a device for gathering the first and second fibers into one or more composite strands. The composite stands are made by drawing glass fibers from the bushing; applying sizing to the glass fibers and the second fibers; contacting the fibers with a heated contact plate to dry the fibers; and then commingling the fibers to form one or more composite strands.

Contact drying of fibers to form composite strands

Epoxy resin compositions having improved storage stability before curing and improved thermal and mechanical performance after curing comprise a mixture of a polyepoxide and a curing agent that is reactive with the polyepoxide. The epoxy resin composition is characterized by a glass transition temperature of less than 20.degree. C., measured under standard conditions, after subjecting the epoxy resin composition to a specified thermal cycle. The preferred curing agents are aromatic diamines, for example, 3,7-diaminodibenzothiophene-5,5-dioxide; 3,7-diaminophenothiazine sulfone, 3,7-diamino-N-methylphenothiazine sulfone; 2,7-diamino-9-fluorenone and 2,4,6,8-tetramethyl-3,7-diaminothioxanthene sulfone.

Epoxy resin compositions with improved storage stability

Crosslinked or crosslinkable organosilicon polymers and prepolymers comprising either (i) alternating (a) cyclic polysiloxane or tetrahedral siloxysilane residues and (b) polycyclic hydrocarbon residues derived from polycyclic polyenes having at least two non-aromatic, non-conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds in their rings linked through carbon to silicon bonds, wherein at least one of the cyclic polysiloxanes or tetrahedral siloxysilanes (a) or the polycyclic polyenes (b) used to form the polymer or prepolymer has three or more reactive sites; or (ii) a linear poly(organohydrosiloxane) polymer having at least 30% of its .dbd.SiH groups reacted to hydrocarbon residues derived from polycyclic polyenes having at least two non-aromatic, non-conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds in their rings; wherein the polymer or prepolymer further comprises a coupling monomer having at least one carbon-carbon double bond which reacts with SiH during hydrosilation.

Growing community of inventors

Pickerington, OH, United States of America

Andrew B Woodside