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:
Jun. 28, 2005
Filed:
Dec. 09, 2002
Choongyong Kwag, Troy, MI (US);
Gary George Tibbetts, Birmingham, MI (US);
D. Gerald Glasgow, Centerville, OH (US);
Choongyong Kwag, Troy, MI (US);
Gary George Tibbetts, Birmingham, MI (US);
D. Gerald Glasgow, Centerville, OH (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A method of making a composite article of a graphite-filled polymer mixture that is robust during high shear mixing and compounding, and that exhibits relatively low electrical resistivity after molding. The mixture is formed by shear mixing a liquid polymeric material, graphitized carbon fibers having diameters of less than one micrometer, and glass fibers longer than the carbon fibers. The carbon and glass fibers constitute up to about 25 volume percent and up to about 50 weight percent, respectively, of the mixture, though the addition of as little as about 1 weight percent of the glass fibers has been shown to dramatically reduce resistivity. The mixture is then introduced into a mold so that the glass fibers are substantially oriented parallel to the direction of flow. Due at least in part to the glass fibers being larger than the carbon fibers, the carbon fibers are substantially aligned with the glass fibers and preferentially segregate to regions of the polymeric matrix near interfaces between the polymeric matrix and the glass fibers.