Hercules Corporation

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Warren C Schimpf

James T Paul, Jr

William G Rouse

Raymond J Malecki

Steven E Russell

Niel W Hansen

A particle aerosol belt has a double-seal construction. A first zip-lock container contains the dry aerosol particles, such as brass metallic flake. The zip-lock containers are then placed in an elongate tubing. The tubing is sealed between the zip-lock containers to form a plurality of cells in which the zip-lock containers are disposed. A method of forming the particle aerosol belt includes introducing the brass metallic flake or other material, in the form of a slurry into the zip-lock containers, and drying the slurry, prior to sealing the zip-lock containers.

Particle aerosol belt

Chopped fiber strands are produced by (1) wetting a continuous unsized fiber tow with a volatile sizing agent, (2) chopping the wet fiber tow into predetermined lengths, and (3) exposing the chopped fibers to conditions of temperature and pressure that remove the sizing agent by volatilizing but do not cause any structural changes in the fiber. Bundles of the unsized fibers have a high bulk density and are easily dispersible in air or other media to individual filaments or groups of small numbers of individual filaments. The process is especially useful for producing high bulk density packages of polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fibers.

Method for producing chopped fiber strands

PAN-based precursors are stabilized prior to carbonization in separate non-oxidizing and oxidizing environments according to process of the invention. Advantages of process include safer, more rapid stabilization and increase in the types of polymers which may be effectively stabilized.

Process of thermally stabilizing pan fibers

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber in the form of a filament bundle has a high Modulus and a high Tensile Strength in the Impregnated Strand Test respectively between about 42 million and 50 million psi and between about 600,000 and 900,000 psi, and Short Beam Shear Strength between about 15,000 and 19,000 psi in the Laminate Test; this PAN-based carbon fiber also has an electrolytically treated surface at 0.2 to 0.8 columbs per inch per approximate 12,000 filaments. The preparation of this PAN-based carbon fiber was accomplished by stretching during carbonization previously stretched and stabilized fine denier precursor while maintaining temperatures and heat up rates within certain ranges.

Carbon fibres

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber in the form of a filament bundle has a high Modulus and a high Tensile Strength in the Impregnated Strand Test respectively between about 42 million and 50 million psi and between about 600,000 and 900,000 psi, and Short Beam Shear Strength between about 15,000 and 19,000 psi in the Laminate Test; this PAN-based carbon fiber also has an electrolytically treated surface at 0.5 columbs per inch per approximate 12,000 filaments. The preparation of this PAN-based carbon fiber was accomplished by stretching during carbonization previously stretched and stabilized fine denier precursor while maintaining temperatures and heat up rates within certain ranges.

Growing community of inventors

Wilmington, DE, United States of America

Warren C Schimpf