US2011045275A1PendingUtilityA1

Fibers treated with polymerization compounds and fiber reinforced composites made therefrom

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Assignee: TADEPALLI RAJAPPAPriority: Jan 8, 2008Filed: Oct 27, 2010Published: Feb 24, 2011
Est. expiryJan 8, 2028(~1.5 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Rajappa TadepalliJawed AsrarKlaus Friedrich GleichKiarash Alavi Shooshtari
C08J 5/248Y02P70/50Y02E10/72C08J 5/06C08K 7/14C08J 5/08B29L 2031/085C03C 13/00C08J 2377/02C08J 2367/02Y10T428/249948C08J 2300/22C07F 7/1804F03D 1/0675
61
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Claims

Abstract

Methods of making fiber reinforced composite articles are described. The methods may include treating fibers with a sizing composition that includes a polymerization compound, and introducing the treated fibers to a pre-polymerized composition. The combination of the treated fibers and pre-polymerized composition may then undergo a temperature adjustment to a polymerization temperature at which the pre-polymerized composition polymerizes into a plastic around the fibers to form the fiber-reinforced composite article. Techniques for introducing the treated fibers to the pre-polymerized composition may include pultrusion, filament winding, reactive injection molding (RIM), structural reactive injection molding (SRIM), resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM), long fiber injection (LFI), sheet molding compound (SMC) molding, bulk molding compound (BMC) molding, a spray-up application, and/or a hand lay-up application, among other techniques.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method of making a fiber-reinforced composite article, the method comprising:
 providing fibers to an article template, wherein the fibers have been treated with a sizing composition comprising a polymerization compound;   providing a pre-polymerized composition to the article template;   adjusting a combination of the treated fibers and pre-polymerized composition to a polymerization temperature where the pre-polymerized composition polymerizes into a plastic around the fibers to form the fiber-reinforced composite article.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plastic comprises a thermoplastic. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polymerization compound comprises an initiator compound or a catalyst. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the sizing composition comprises both an initiator compound and a catalyst. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sizing composition further comprises a coupling-initiator compound. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sizing composition further comprises a film-forming agent. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-polymerized composition comprises one or more lactam monomers and the plastic comprises a polyamide. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the lactam monomers comprise one or more caprolactams. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the polymerization compound includes an initiator compound having the formula: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein m is a integer with a value of 0 to 12. 
       
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the polymerization compound includes an initiator compound having a formula:
   R—X—(I) n  
   wherein n is an integer with a value of 1 to 5;   R comprises a terminal moiety selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group;   X comprises a linking moiety that links the R moiety with the one or more I moieties; and   (I), comprises one or more polymerization initiator moieties, wherein each of the initiator moieties is capable of initiating a polymerization of the one or more lactam monomers, and wherein each of the initiator moieties is the same or different.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the value of the integer n is 1 to 3. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the linking moiety X comprises a covalent bond, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkene group, or an amine group. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the linking moiety X comprises—(CH 2 ) m —, wherein m is a integer with a value of 0 to 12. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the linking moiety X comprises —(H)N—(CH 2 ) m —N(H)—, wherein m is a integer with a value of 0 to 12. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the polymer initiator moieties (I) comprises an organo-cyclic ring having the formula: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
          represents a C 3  to C 12  substituted or unsubstituted cyclic hydrocarbon chain. 
       
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the initiator moieties (I), has the formula: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the polymerization compound includes a catalyst comprising a salt of a lactam, wherein the salt is an alkali metal salt or an alkali-earth metal salt. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the catalyst comprises magnesium bromide caprolactam. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the pre-polymerized composition further comprises an initiator compound or a catalyst. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-polymerized composition comprises one or more macrocyclic polyester oligomers, and the plastic comprises a polyester. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the macrocyclic polyester oligomers comprise a polybutylene terephthalate. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the polybutylene terephthalate comprises cyclic poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate). 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the polymerization compound comprises a catalyst selected from the group consisting of a tin-containing compound or a titanium-containing compound. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fibers provided to the article template further comprise a coating of the pre-polymerized composition. 
     
     
         25 . A method of making a fiber reinforced composite article, the method comprising:
 treating fibers with a sizing composition comprising a polymerization compound;   introducing the treated fibers to a pre-polymerized composition; and   adjusting a combination of the treated fibers and pre-polymerized composition to a polymerization temperature where the pre-polymerized composition polymerizes into a plastic around the fibers to form the fiber-reinforced composite article.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the treated fibers and the pre-polymerized composition are introduced by a composite fabrication technique selected from the group consisting of pultrusion, filament winding, reactive injection molding, structural reactive injection molding, resin transfer molding, vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding, long fiber injection, sheet molding compound (SMC) molding, bulk molding compound (BMC) molding, a spray-up application, and a hand lay-up application. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the polymerization compound includes an initiator compound having a formula:
   R—X—(I) n  
   wherein n is an integer with a value of 1 to 5;   R comprises a terminal moiety selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group;   X comprises a linking moiety that links the R moiety with the one or more I moieties; and   (I) n  comprises one or more polymerization initiator moieties, wherein each of the initiator moieties is capable of initiating a polymerization of the one or more lactam monomers, and wherein each of the initiator moieties is the same or different.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the pre-polymerized composition comprises one or more lactam monomers and the plastic comprises a polyamide. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the pre-polymerized composition comprises one or more macrocyclic polyester oligomers, and the plastic comprises a polyester. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the polymerization compound comprises a first initiator precursor, and the pre-polymerized composition comprises at least one polymerizable precursor and a second initiator precursor, and wherein following the introduction of the treated fibers to the pre-polymerized composition the first and second initiator precursors react to form an initiator capable of initiating the polymerization of the polymerizable precursor into the plastic at the polymerization temperature. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the first initiator precursor comprises ethyl benzoate and the second initiator precursor comprises sodium caprolactam. 
     
     
         32 . A treated fiber that promotes a polymerization reaction to form a fiber-reinforced composite article, the treated fiber having at least one treated surface comprising a polymerization compound, wherein the polymerization compound initiates or catalyzes the polymerization of a pre-polymerized composition. 
     
     
         33 . The treated fiber of  claim 32 , wherein the polymerization compound comprises an initiator compound or a catalyst. 
     
     
         34 . The treated fiber of  claim 33 , wherein the initiator compound or the catalyst is not covalently bonded to the treated surface of the fiber. 
     
     
         35 . The treated fiber of  claim 32 , wherein the polymerization compound comprises a coupling-initiator compound covalently bonded to the treated surface of the fiber. 
     
     
         36 . The treated fiber of  claim 32 , wherein the pre-polymerized mixture comprises a lactam monomer or a macrocyclic polyester oligomer. 
     
     
         37 . The treated fiber of  claim 32 , wherein the polymerization compound initiates or catalyzes the polymerization of a pre-polymerized composition into a thermoplastic polymer. 
     
     
         38 . The treated fiber of  claim 32 , wherein the treated fiber comprises a glass fiber. 
     
     
         39 . The treated fiber of  claim 32 , wherein the treated fiber is part of a fiber mat. 
     
     
         40 . A fiber-reinforced composite article comprising:
 a plastic polymer matrix; and   treated fibers bonded to the plastic polymer matrix by a first polymerization compound comprising a reacted coupling-initiator compound with a reacted coupling moiety covalently bonded to the treated fiber, and a reacted initiator moiety that participated in the polymerization of the plastic polymer matrix; and   a reacted second polymerization compound that also participated in the polymerization of the plastic polymer without being covalently bonded to the treated fiber.   
     
     
         41 . The article of  claim 40 , wherein the plastic polymer matrix is a thermoplastic polymer matrix. 
     
     
         42 . The article of  claim 40 , wherein the reacted second polymerization compound was non-covalently coupled to at least a portion of the treated fibers prior to the polymerization of the plastic polymer. 
     
     
         43 . The article of  claim 40 , wherein the plastic polymer matrix comprises a polyamide polymer or a polyester polymer. 
     
     
         44 . The article of  claim 40 , wherein the reacted second polymerization compound comprises an initiator compound or a catalyst.

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