The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 07, 1998
Filed:
Dec. 24, 1996
Patrick A Bancroft, Rockwall, TX (US);
United States Brass Corporation, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A molded cross-linked polyethylene article is formed using cross-linked polyethylene scrap generated in a previous extrusion process. The scrap is used, either by itself or mixed with essentially virgin cross-linkable polyethylene and a master batch mixture, to define a partially cross-linked moldable plastic material having a gel percent higher than that of the essentially virgin polyethylene used in the extrusion process. The mold used to form the scrap-based polyethylene end product has, for the essentially virgin polyethylene, a maximum acceptable plastic inflow rate. However, when the same mold is used to form the scrap-based polyethylene article, the molding problems previously associated with attempts to use polyethylene scrap in a heat-based cross-linked plastic formation process are advantageously eliminated by reducing the plastic mold inflow rate to a rate not greater than a second inflow rate less than the maximum virgin polyethylene flow rate and inversely related to the ratio of the gel percent of the scrap-based polyethylene used in the molding process to the gel percentage of the essentially virgin polyethylene.