Carbon and glass fiber reinforced high density polyethylene composite

Abstract

The invention relates to a glass and / or carbon fiber reinforced HDPE composite material and production method suitable for additive manufacturing method for use in industry.

Description

[0001] CARBON AND GLASS FIBER REINFORCED HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE COMPOSITE

[0002] Technical Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to a method of manufacturing HDPE (high density polyethylene) composite materials reinforced with chopped carbon and glass fibers, also suitable for additive manufacturing, and to a composite material produced by this method.

[0004] State of the art regarding the invention

[0005] Thermoplastic materials have industrial uses such as marine, aerospace and automotive. There are also exemplary applications in small marine vessels without propulsion systems such as canoes and pedal boats. To a lesser extent, small boats for amateur fishing under 6 meters can also be produced with thermoplastics. In addition, thermoplastics, which have become widespread in the internal structural elements of airplanes, are used in the automotive industry, for example in the design of consoles.

[0006] There are two main production methods of thermoplastic materials that are widely used today. Both techniques, the rotation molding method and the plate welding method, are efficient and reliable. In the rotation molding method, the plastics placed in a metal mold take the shape of the mold with the help of the centrifugal force as the mold is heated and rotated. Another particularly common production method of thermoplastics is to heat and bend plastic plates and weld them with plastic welding. In rotational molding method, initial investment and mold cost are quite high. In this method, the production of metal molds is both costly and time-consuming. This method is not only costly, but also prone to production errors related to the homogeneous distribution of plastics during production. However, the freedom it offers to the designer is quite low. Industrial design and market needs are a dynamic sector that is constantly changing. In this context, although this method is low cost per part for mass production, it is very costly and time consuming in terms of rapid change of design which affects competitiveness.

[0007] The biggest disadvantage of the plate welding method as far as hull design is concerned is that since the plates are produced by bending, it is not possible to create soft angular lines. This limits the design and fails to meet the design concerns of customers in the automotive and yacht sectors, which is one of the main reasons why this material, which is produced using the aforementioned method, has not become widespread, for example in the yacht sector.

[0008] In addition, vehicles produced with these two techniques and HDPE materials have a weight disadvantage compared to composite vehicles based on thermosetting materials. HDPE is not a rigid material compared to its counterparts. For this reason, it is very difficult to produce with these techniques as the vehicle size increases.

[0009] In the known state of the art, both techniques have been adopted by the industry, but in recent years an alternative experimental method has emerged. In this method, also known as 'additive manufacturing', polymer and metal materials can be processed. Increasing print sizes and decreasing device costs in recent years, especially in the context of polymer-based printers, have made this technology attractive for the aerospace, small boat and high- performance sports car industries. HDPE in its pure form is not suitable for use in additive manufacturing. In this context, the invention will contribute to the production of thermoplastic products with additive manufacturing by enabling the use of HDPE material with additive manufacturing. In addition, HDPE material does not allow freedom of design when used by the plate welding method. As a result, it is not preferred as an attractive product in the luxury vehicle industry, where aesthetic concerns come to the fore. It is aimed that the invention will provide solutions to these problems, allowing the upcycling of HDPE material with thermoplastic properties, replacing thermoset and metal-based structures, and addressing increasing environmental concerns. In additive manufacturing, in polymer production with the fused filament technique (FFF), HDPE in its pure form does not adhere to the printing plate. It can also be thermally deformed during printing. As mentioned in the title, using HDPE material and adding micro-sized carbon and glass fibers to the composite form facilitates the printing process as it increases the thermal conductivity and reduces the ductility of the material.

[0010] As a result, all abovementioned problems have made it necessary to make an improvement in the relevant technical field.

[0011] Objects and Brief Description of the Invention

[0012] The main object of the present invention is to produce HDPE filament and plate with fiber reinforcement material to be used as a replacement for thermoset composites in industry. The object of the present invention is to achieve lower costs in production with HDPE compared to the rotation method.

[0013] The object of the present invention is to be able to produce parts with a desired internal volume ratio or filling compared to the rotation technique.

[0014] The object of the present invention is to improve the structural strength of manufactured vehicles.

[0015] The object of the present invention is to enable more complex forms to be produced by giving manufacturers freedom of design.

[0016] The object of the present invention is to increase the size of the vehicle that can be produced using the plate welding technique.

[0017] The object of the present invention is to reduce the initial investment and production costs of small-scale producers.

[0018] The object of the present invention is to provide design freedom for vehicle manufacturers, enabling them to enter the market quickly and thus be competitive.

[0019] Definitions of the Figures Describing the Invention

[0020] The figures and related explanations used so as to better explain the method and material developed with the present invention are given below.

[0021] Figure 1. HDPE Composite Marine Vehicle Production Scheme with Additive Manufacturing Figure 2. Electron Microscope Surface Image of a sample HDPE Fiber Composite produced by the invention

[0022] Figure 3. Tensile Tests of Composite Materials

[0023] Definitions of Elements / Sections / Parts that Constitute the Invention

[0024] In order to better explain the method and material developed with this invention, the parts and parts in the figures are numbered and the equivalent of each number is given below.

[0025] 1. HDPE and reinforcement material

[0026] 2. Extrusion System 3. Composite in granule form

[0027] 4. Filament production

[0028] 5. HDPE composite filament

[0029] 6. 3D printing

[0030] 7. Final product

[0031] 8. HDPE Matrix

[0032] 9. Reinforcing material

[0033] 10. Tensile test results

[0034] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0035] The present invention provides a reinforced composite material production method for the marine industry and a composite material produced by this method.

[0036] Additive manufacturing method developed by the invention, it comprises the following process steps;

[0037] Feeding HDPE material and at least one reinforcing material into an extrusion device, Obtaining the mixture of HDPE and reinforcing material from the extrusion device, Heat treatment of the resulting mixture to obtain the composite filament form,

[0038] Feeding the resulting filament form into a 3D printing machine and obtaining the composite material.

[0039] In the method of the present invention, the HDPE material and at least one reinforcing material are fed into an extrusion device. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, in the application of glass and carbon fiber or a hybrid of these two fiber types, the weight ratios of these fiber reinforcement materials in the composite material are preferably between 10% and 15%.

[0040] The HDPE and reinforcing material fed to the extrusion device is expected to obtain the composite form in granular form from this device. For a better composite material, the extruder is preferably expected to be twin-screw. Heat treatment is used so as to convert the granular composite into filament. The composite filament form is fed into a three-dimensional printing machine and the final product is a reinforced composite material.

[0041] The composite material developed by the invention is produced by the above-mentioned method and the reinforced composite material consists of minimum 85%, maximum 90% HDPE and minimum 10%, maximum 15% fibers by weight. Said fibers here consist of glass, carbon or glass carbon (hybrid) materials.

[0042] The tensile strength and bending moments of the composite material produced by the method developed with the invention increased between 20% and 60% depending on the type and ratio of reinforcement. The electron microscopy examination showed a homogeneous distribution of the reinforcement in the product.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A product produced by additive manufacturing method, characterized in that, it comprises the following process steps; Feeding HDPE material and at least one reinforcing material into an extrusion device,Granulation of the composite material consisting of HDPE and reinforcing material from the extrusion device,Obtaining the composite filament form by applying heat treatment to the granular composite obtained, Feeding the resulting filament form into a 3D printing machine and obtaining the composite material.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that; glass fiber and / or carbon fiber are used as reinforcing material.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that; reinforcing material is added to the HDPE material between 10% and 15% by weight.

4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that; twin screw extrusion device is used as extrusion device.

5. A composite material produced by a method according to any of the preceding claims.

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