Coating processes – Solid particles or fibers applied – Applying superposed diverse coatings or coating a coated base
Patent
1997-11-13
2000-04-25
Beck, Shrive
Coating processes
Solid particles or fibers applied
Applying superposed diverse coatings or coating a coated base
427195, 427482, 4273855, 4273898, 4274073, 4274346, 427421, 156166, 156180, B05D 136, B05D 106, B05D 302, B32B 3100
Patent
active
060541776
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a non-adhesive and drapable molding material, which is produced by depositing a thermoplastic resin powder on a reinforcing continuous fiber bundle and applying a resin different from the thermoplastic resin powder as a binder resin, whereby the dissociation of the thermoplastic resin powder from the reinforcing continuous fiber bundle is prevented; and to a method for producing the molding material.
Since the molding material comprising a continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin in accordance with the present invention has the properties described above, the molding material exhibits good lay-up workability and moldability; and the resulting molded articles have excellent mechanical performance for use in wider fields such as general industries and aerospace fields.
BACKGROUND ART
When molding materials comprising continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resins are classified on the basis of the impregnation state of the resins, the materials are broadly grouped as follows: molding materials in sheet forms, namely molding materials of so-called completely impregnated type, wherein the resins are once melted and completely impregnated in between the reinforcing continuous fibers; and molding materials wherein the resins are present in their non-melted state, namely molding materials of non-melted type.
Although the former molding materials of completely impregnated type are not drapable because the resins therein form a matrix layer, the latter molding materials of non-melted type are drapable because the non-melted resins are present between the reinforcing continuous fibers.
In the molding materials of the completely impregnated type, the resins are preliminarily impregnated completely in between the reinforcing continuous fibers. Therefore, no need exists to re-impregnate the resins in a molding process. Thus, such molding materials can produce molded articles in a relatively short period by selecting and effecting an appropriate heating process and an appropriate molding pressure during molding. Hence, the materials have outstandingly good high-speed moldability and are a convenient material form for high productivity. For the production of a molded article of a complex shape such molding materials of the completely impregnated type may be used; however, the molded materials cause difficulty in lay-up due to not being drapable. Therefore, a molded article is then likely to be limited to a relatively simple shape.
In contrast, the latter molding materials of the non-melted type are provided with drape properties so as to overcome such a problem. The latter molding materials are broadly divided into molding materials produced by forming a thermoplastic resin into a fiber and then mixing the fiber with a reinforcing continuous fiber (molding materials by so-called fiber method) and molding materials produced by pulverizing a thermoplastic resin and then depositing the resulting pulverized resin onto a reinforcing continuous fiber (molding materials by so-called powder method).
The molding materials produced by the fiber method include hybrid yarn (produced by twisting a reinforcing continuous fiber and a resin fiber together), commingled yarn (comprising a reinforcing continuous fiber and a resin fiber, which are preliminarily mixed together at a monofilament level), and co-woven (woven fabric using hybrid yarn and commingled yarn). By the fiber method, resins which can not be formed into fiber cannot be used as matrix resins, and therefore, the resin types to be used by the method are limited to some extent.
The molding materials produced by the powder method are advantageous in that almost all resins can be pulverized finely so a wide variety of resins may be selected. The powder method for producing molding materials includes a method comprising passing a reinforcing continuous fiber through a fluid bed of a thermoplastic resin powder, a method comprising depositing a thermoplastic resin powder onto a reinforcing fiber in an
REFERENCES:
patent: 3862287 (1975-01-01), Davis
patent: 4614678 (1986-09-01), Ganga
patent: 5026410 (1991-06-01), Pollet et al.
Journal of Thermoplastic Composite Materials, vol. 3, Oct. 1990 pp. 325-354.
38th International SAMPE Symp., Holty et al, Variables Affecting the Physical Properties of Consolidated Flexible Powder-Coated Towpregs, May 10-13, 1993.
Endoh Yoshihiro
Iizuka Yoshio
Barr Michael
Beck Shrive
Toho Rayon Co. Ltd.
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