Polymer/WUCS mat for use in automotive applications

Abstract

An acoustical and thermally absorbent chopped strand mat formed of thermoplastic bonding materials and bundles of reinforcing fibers is provided. The reinforcing fibers are preferably wet use chopped strand glass fibers (WUCS). The thermoplastic bonding materials may be any thermoplastic or thermosetting material having a melting point less than the reinforcing fiber. The chopped strand mat may be formed by partially opening the WUCS fibers and filamentizing the thermoplastic bonding materials, blending the reinforcement and thermoplastic bonding fibers, forming the reinforcement and thermoplastic bonding fibers into a sheet, and bonding the sheet. During bonding, the sheet is heated to a temperature above the melting point of the thermoplastic bonding fibers but below the temperature of the glass fibers. The melted thermoplastic bonding fibers act as a glue to hold the glass fibers in bundles. The chopped strand mat thus formed may be used as a reinforcement material in automotive applications.

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       10 . An acoustical and thermally insulative non woven chopped strand mat suitable for use in automotive applications comprising: 
 bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers; and    a thermoplastic bonding material having a melting point less than the melting point of said bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers, said thermoplastic bonding material bonding at least a portion of said bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material; and    wherein said bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material are substantially uniformly distributed throughout said chopped strand mat.    
   
   
       11 . The chopped strand mat according to  claim 10 , wherein said reinforcement fibers are selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, wool glass fibers, natural fibers, metal fibers, ceramic fibers, mineral fibers, carbon fibers, graphite fibers, nylon fibers, rayon fibers, polymer based thermoplastic fibers and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       12 . The chopped strand mat according to  claim 10 , wherein said dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers are present in said chopped strand mat in an amount of from about 80 to about 98% by weight of the total fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material is present in said chopped strand mat in an amount of from about 2 to about 20% by weight of the total fibers.  
   
   
       13 . The chopped strand mat according to  claim 12 , wherein said chopped strand mat has a weight distribution of from about 80 to about 500 g/m 2 .  
   
   
       14 . The chopped strand mat according to  claim 10 , wherein said dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers are dehydrated wet use chopped strand glass fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material is a bicomponent fiber.  
   
   
       15 . The chopped strand mat according to  claim 14 , wherein said bicomponent fiber is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate/polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate/polyethylene, polypropylene/polyethylene, copolyester polyethylene terephthalate/polyethylene terephthalate (coPET/PET), poly  1 , 4  cyclohexanedimethyl terephthalate/polypropylene (PCT/PP), high density polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate (HDPE/PET), high density polyethylene/polypropylene (HDPE/PP), linear low density polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate (LLDPE/PET), nylon 6/nylon 6,6 (PA6/PA6,6) and glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate/polyethylene terephthalate (6PETg/PET).  
   
   
       16 . A method of forming a laminate composite comprising the steps of: 
 placing a first adhesive layer formed of a first adhesive on a scrim;    depositing a first chopped strand mat layer on said first adhesive layer, said chopped strand mat including bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers and a thermoplastic bonding material having a melting point less than the melting point of said dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers, said thermoplastic bonding material having been heat treated to at least partially melt and bond at least a portion of said bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material;    placing a second adhesive layer formed of a second adhesive on said first chopped strand mat layer; and    positioning a foam material on said second adhesive layer to form a laminate composite.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the steps of: 
 depositing a third adhesive layer formed of a third adhesive on said foam material;    positioning a second chopped strand mat layer on said third adhesive layer; and    placing a fourth adhesive layer formed of a fourth adhesive on said second chopped strand mat layer.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of forming said chopped strand mat, said forming step including: 
 partially opening bundles of wet reinforcement fibers;    removing at least a portion of water from said partially opened bundles of wet reinforcement fibers to form said bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers;    mixing said dehydrated wet reinforcement fiber bundles and said thermoplastic bonding material to form a substantially homogenous mixture of said dehydrated wet reinforcement fiber bundles and said thermoplastic bonding material;    forming said mixture of dehydrated wet reinforcement fiber bundles and said thermoplastic bonding material into a sheet; and    bonding at least a portion of said dehydrated wet reinforcement fiber bundles and said thermoplastic bonding material to form said chopped strand mat.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said first, second, third, and fourth adhesives have a form selected from the group consisting of film form and powdered form.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said foam material is polyurethane foam boards.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said laminate composite product is a headliner for an automobile and said method further comprises the steps of: 
 trimming said laminate composite product; and    molding said trimmed laminate composite into a headliner.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the step of: 
 passing said laminate composite product through a lamination oven prior to said trimming step.    
   
   
       23 . A method of forming a laminate composite product comprising the steps of: 
 forming a first layered material including: 
 depositing a first adhesive layer formed of a first adhesive onto a first scrim;  
 positioning a first chopped strand mat layer on said first adhesive layer, said chopped strand mat including bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers and a thermoplastic bonding material having a melting point less than the melting point of said dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers, said thermoplastic bonding material bonding said bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material; and  
 placing a second adhesive layer formed of a second adhesive on said first chopped strand mat layer;  
   forming a second layered material including: 
 depositing a third adhesive layer formed of a third adhesive onto a foam material layer;  
 placing a second chopped strand mat layer on said third adhesive layer;  
 depositing a fourth adhesive layer formed of a fourth adhesive onto said second chopped strand mat layer; and  
 placing a second scrim on said fourth adhesive layer; and  
   positioning said second layered material and said first layered material such that said foam material layer is adjacent to said second adhesive layer to form said laminate composite product.