Composites of polyhydroxy fatty acids and fibrous materials

Details Composites of polyhydroxy fatty acids and fibrous materials Composites of polyhydroxy fatty acids and fibrous materials

1998-11-03

2000-01-04

Nutter, Nathan M.

Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology

Micro-organism, tissue cell culture or enzyme using process...

435132, 435134, 435155, 435170, 523124, 523128, D04H 100, D04H 158, C12P 762

Patent

active

060108703

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the use of composite materials made of poly(hydroxyfatty acids) as binders and fibrous materials for the preparation of molded parts in the automobile field.
2. Description of the Related Art
Composite materials such as textile fiber fleeces consist of fibrous materials and a binder material. Phenol resins are mainly used as the binder although their environmental compatibility is doubtful.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,627 A describes the use of biodegradable polymers as binders for impregnating or coating fibrous fabrics. The resulting fabric is biodegradable so that the fiber in the fabric can be easily reused. The binder polymers described have molecular weights of more than 30,000, in particular more than 50,000, and include, for example, polymers of lactic acid, glycolic acid, hydroxybutyric acid and hydroxyvaleric acid.
DE 44 16 357 A1 describes a wound cover for medical use consisting of a support material of vegetable and/or animal fibers and/or fibers of polymer materials, and a polymer material which essentially coats and/or reinforces the fibers, the polymer material consisting of a poly(hydroxybutyric acid) which makes up between 1 and 50% by mass, based on the total mass of the wound cover.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Textile fiber fleeces are a frequently used construction material in the automobile field and have a broad range of properties. For example, phenol resin bonded textile fleece has long been employed as a material for structural and covered parts (alone or as a composite material) in the automobile industry in the construction of passenger cars and trucks, due to, inter alia, its good attenuation properties. Being an inexpensive sheet material, this product at first exclusively served for cushioning purposes. More recently, however, this material became available in a number of variants and can be employed in a wide variety of uses. Molded parts are particularly preferred.
Phenol resin bonded textile fleece is commercially available in bulk densities of from 50 to 1000 kg/cm.sup.3 and in thicknesses of from 5 to 30 mm. It may be described as a so-called porous composite consisting of three phases (cotton, cured phenol resin, and air)--a construction material whose profile of properties can be widely modified. Cotton is fibrous, phenol resin is present as discrete particles and also in the form of a flat network, as a kind of matrix.
By a particular selection of the non-woven (fleece) materials, the acoustic properties and the strength of the composite material can be particularly controlled. Especially preferred materials for the preparation of the non-woven material are glass-fiber reinforced or glass-mat reinforced fibrous materials, especially binder-containing textile fleeces, preferably those consisting of a cotton mixed fabric. Such fleeces are given the desired strength by pressing at an elevated temperature.
The particular properties and the performance of this last group of products are accounted for by the chemical and morphological structure of cotton and the thermoset character of the cured phenol resins which are usually employed as the binders for the cotton mixed fabric fleeces. Other factors affecting the properties are the deformability, the fastness to ironing of the cotton, the statistical abundance of bonding points, and the laminate and/or sheathing effect of the binder molecules adhering along the fibers and being condensed in this way.
The cotton will withstand the manufacturing process virtually without any change of its characteristic physicochemical properties. It confers specific quality features to the product, such as sound absorbability, good values of mechanical strength, impact resistance and resistance to shattering in the cold.
Particularly preferred binders for the non-woven materials are selected from phenol-formaldehyde resins, epoxy resins, polyester resins, polyamide resins, polypropylene, polyethylene and/or ethyl/vinyl acetate copolymers. After curing, phenol res

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Timm, A., et al., "Formation of Polyesters Consisting of Medium-Chain-Length 3-Hydroxyalkanoic Acids from Gluconate by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other Fluorescent Psuedomonads", Applied and Environmental Microbiology, vol. 56, No. 11 (1990) pp. 3360-3367.
Lageveen, R.G., "Formation of Polyesters by Pseudomonas oleovorans: Effect of Substrates on Formation and Compostion of Poly-(R)-3-Hydroxyalkanoates and Poly-(R)-3-Hydroxyalkenoates", Applied and Environmental Microbiology, vol. 54, No. 12 (1988) pp. 2924-2932.
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