Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – With printing or coating of workpiece
Patent
1993-02-23
1995-08-08
Fiorilla, Christopher A.
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
With printing or coating of workpiece
264257, B29C 5900
Patent
active
054396271
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to reinforced shaped composites and laminates. More specifically, the invention relates to a process for manufacturing shaped composites and laminates reinforced with long or continuous fibers and/or filaments or chopped-aligned fibers or filaments, such as carbon matrix composites (FRCC's), ceramic matrix composites (FRCMC's), glass matrix composites (FRGMC's), glass-ceramic matrix composites (FRGCMC's), metal matrix composites (FRMMC's), intermetallic matrix composites (FRIMC's), cement, concrete or gypsum matrix composites and reinforced plastic composites and to filament tapes, ribbons, sheets or cloths for use in said process.
Composites and laminates, i.e. combinations of two or more materials, comprising matrix material(s) and reinforcing fillers, which form a bonded quasi-homogeneous structure with synergistic mechanical and physical properties compared to the basic matrix and filler materials, form an important class of construction materials in modern technology. Composites may be of two different types, viz. composites comprising a matrix with discontinuous filler system particles, platelets, whiskers, i.e. short fibers, flakes and chopped fibers, i.e. fibers of a length between say 3 mm and about 20 cm and composites comprising a matrix with preform moulding of long or continuous fibers and/or filaments. Laminates generally comprise a matrix with a number of laid up webs of long or continuous fibers and/or filaments or chopped fibers or filaments.
In principle the composites with chopped and in particular with continuous fibers and/or filaments and the laminates form preferable construction materials because they combine desirable intrinsic physical and/or chemical properties of the matrix with favourable strength and stiffness properties derived from the fibers and/or filaments. The chopped fibers or filaments and the long continuous fibers or filaments are basically used in four configurations (vide Kirk Othmer, Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, third Edition, Supplement Volume, page 261) of which the unidirectional configuration (long or continuous fibers or filaments arranged substantially parallel to each other) and chopped-aligned configuration (chopped fibers or filaments all arranged in the same direction) in principal give the best performance. Because fibers afford significant control over the internal structure of the composite and because of their high aspect ratios (ratio of length to diameter), long, continuous fibers are the reinforcing elements of choice in high performance composites.
However, according to Mittnick and Mc. Elman in a paper entitled "Continuous Silicon Carbide Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites" presented at the SME Metal Matrix Composites '88 Conference, September 1988, pages 91-99, it is difficult when manufacturing composites which generally involve complex geometric shapes, to position continuous fibers during the fabrication process. The system described by Mittnick and Mc. Elman, the so called "green tape" system, the "plasma-sprayed aluminium tape" system and the "woven fabric" system of which the latter is said to be perhaps the most interesting, are indeed only suitable for manufacturing laminates of rather simple shape. In all these systems separate fiber sheets, each comprising a single layer of straight and parallel fibers held together by a temporary or permanent binder or cross-wave, are sequentially laid up into a mould in the required orientation to fabricate laminates. The method described for making the green tape comprises winding the fibers or filaments onto a foil-covered rotating drum, overspraying the fibers with a (temporary) resin binder, followed by cutting the layer from the drum to provide a flat sheet which is used for making a preform moulding by laying up. This method requires a careful control of the winding operation to keep the fibers or filaments parallel with the correct spacing. But even then, when the sheet or laid up and subsequently the temporary resin binder is removed
REFERENCES:
patent: 2992960 (1961-07-01), Leeg
patent: 3766000 (1973-10-01), Gibson et al.
patent: 3936574 (1976-02-01), Marin
patent: 4071594 (1978-01-01), Pearson et al.
Feb. 18, 1983--vol. 7, No. 41--Memoranda.
Fiorilla Christopher A.
Flexline Services Ltd.
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