Composite carbon-fiber wire and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

A composite carbon-fiber wire and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The composite carbon-fiber wire includes a carbon-fiber filament, a protective layer, and a lubricant layer. The carbon-fiber filament is formed by aggregating carbon-fiber tows that are purely made of carbon. The protective layer is formed by coating an outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament with a resin material to wrap the carbon-fiber filament. The lubricant layer is formed by affixing lubricant particles in a lubricant solution to the protective layer. Thereby, the composite carbon-fiber wire is more flexible and less fricative than the unprocessed carbon-fiber filament. This facilitates the subsequent weaving process. Additionally, the lubricant solution only reaches an outer surface of the protective layer rather than permeating the carbon-fiber filament and accelerating degradation of the carbon-fiber filament.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE1. Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to carbon-fiber filaments, and more particularly to a composite carbon-fiber wire and a method for manufacturing the same.2. Description of Related Art

[0002] In the art of making carbon-fiber filaments, carbon fiber has been extensively used in various structural materials and composite materials for its high strength and light weight. Particularly, in processes of weaving composite materials, carbon fiber contributes to the quality of final products with its performance and processability. However, there are some challenges in applications where carbon-fiber filaments are woven.SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0003] The primary objective of this disclosure is to address the challenges unsolved in the prior art that conventional carbon-fiber filaments when used to weave carbon-fiber fabric tend to break due to the use of resin with insufficient flexibility and can generate excessive friction during the weaving process.

[0004] To achieve the foregoing objective, one embodiment of this disclosure provides a composite carbon-fiber wire and a method for manufacturing the same. The composite carbon-fiber wire comprises a carbon-fiber filament, a protective layer, and a lubricant layer. The carbon-fiber filament is formed by aggregating carbon-fiber tows that are purely made of carbon. The protective layer is formed by coating a resin material to an outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament to wrap the carbon-fiber filament. The lubricant layer is formed by affixing lubricant particles to an outer surface of the protective layer.

[0005] By using a thermoplastic resin material to form the protective layer, flexibility of the manufactured carbon-fiber wire can be enhanced. Furthermore, by soaking the carbon-fiber filament in a lubricant solution, friction of the manufactured carbon-fiber wire that affects the subsequent weaving process can be reduced. The two jointly improve the processibility of the manufactured carbon-fiber wire. Additionally, the lubricant solution in the soaking step only reaches the outer surface of the protective layer rather than permeating the carbon-fiber filament and accelerating degradation of the carbon-fiber filament.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective cut-away view of a composite carbon-fiber wire.

[0007] FIG. 2 is a front perspective of the composite carbon-fiber wire.

[0008] FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of two-dimensional fabric woven from the composite carbon-fiber wire.

[0009] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a system for manufacturing the composite carbon-fiber wire.

[0010] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the system for manufacturing the composite carbon-fiber wire from one side.

[0011] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing the composite carbon-fiber wire.

[0012] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a protective-layer forming step of the disclosed method.

[0013] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a lubricant-solution soaking step of the disclosed method.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0014] The following preferred embodiments when read with the accompanying drawings are made to clearly exhibit the above-mentioned and other technical contents, features, and effects of this disclosure. Through the exposition by means of the specific embodiments, people would further understand the technical means and effects this disclosure adopts to achieve the above-indicated objectives. However, the accompanying drawings are intended for reference and illustration, but not to limit this disclosure and are not made to scale.

[0015] Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 5, a composite carbon-fiber wire 100 as disclosed herein comprises a carbon-fiber filament 10, a protective layer 20, and a lubricant layer 30. The carbon-fiber filament 10 is formed by aggregating carbon-fiber tows that are purely made of carbon. The protective layer 20 is formed by coating an outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament 10 with a resin material to wrap the carbon-fiber filament 10. The lubricant layer 30 is formed by affixing lubricant particles to an outer surface of the protective layer 20. Thereby, the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 is more flexible and less fricative than the unprocessed carbon-fiber filament 10. This facilitates the subsequent weaving process. Additionally, the lubricant solution during the soaking step only reaches the outer surface of the protective layer 20. This eliminates the risk that the lubricant solution would otherwise permeate the carbon-fiber filament 10 and accelerate degradation of the carbon-fiber filament 10.

[0016] In one embodiment, the protective layer 20 is made by coating the outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament 10 with a thermoplastic resin material, which may be polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone, nylon, poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), etc.

[0017] The use of the thermoplastic resin material provides advantages like making the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 re-processible and allowing a more flexible manufacturing process, thereby saving both time and money. In addition, the thermoplastic resin material is selected to have good recyclability, which allows it to be recycled during the manufacturing process. This consequently helps reduce waste of the material and reduce impact on the environment. It is also to be noted that when the thermoplastic resin material is cured, it has good flexibility, which leads to high impact resistance and durability, making the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 particularly suitable for complex structures and / or shapes.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 2, the carbon-fiber filament 10 has a diameter D. A ratio between the diameter D of the carbon-fiber filament 10 and a thickness T of the protective layer 20 is between 0.5:1 and 4:1. The ratio between the diameter D of the carbon-fiber filament 10 and the thickness T of the protective layer 20 may be designed according to practical needs in terms of impact resistance, toughness, cost, or product requirement. In a preferred embodiment, the ratio between the diameter D of the carbon-fiber filament 10 and the thickness T of the protective layer 20 is 1:1.

[0019] When the ratio between the diameter D of the carbon-fiber filament 10 and the thickness T of the protective layer 20 is smaller than 0.5:1, the thickness T of the protective layer 20 is undesirably large, and the overall weight of the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 can be undesirably increased due to the heavy protective layer 20, yet this is not helpful to the overall structural strength. When the ratio between the diameter D of the carbon-fiber filament 10 and the thickness T of the protective layer 20 is greater than 4, the thickness T of the protective layer 20 is too small. This may lead to incomplete coverage of the protective layer 20, as well as the lubricant particles it carries, and prevent the protective layer 20 from effectively protecting the carbon-fiber filament 10. Consequently, the overall flexural strength of the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 is impaired.

[0020] The lubricant layer 30 is formed by affixing lubricant particles to the outer surface of the protective layer 20. In one embodiment, the lubricant particles are made of calcium stearate.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, the carbon-fiber filament 10, in the form of a thread, is coated with the thermoplastic resin material, and the lubricant layer 30 is attached thereto to reduce friction at the outer surface of the protective layer 20, making it easy to weave the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 into two-dimensional fabric.

[0022] Additionally, this disclosure provides a method for manufacturing the composite carbon-fiber wire 100, as shown in FIG. 4 through FIG. 8. The method comprises the following steps.

[0023] A wire-feeding step S1 involves drawing the carbon-fiber filament 10 using a wire-feeding machine 1, wherein the carbon-fiber filament 10 is formed by aggregating carbon-fiber tows that are purely made of carbon.

[0024] A protective-layer forming step S2 involves placing the carbon-fiber filament 10 into a coating mold 2 to coat the melted resin material across the outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament 10, thereby forming the protective layer 20.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 7, in one embodiment, the protective-layer forming step S2 may further comprise the following steps.

[0026] A melting step S2a involves feeding the resin material in a solid state into a screw barrel 2b through a feeding hopper 2a, and conveying the resin material in the screw barrel 2b. The resin material is gradually compressed and heated as it advances in the screw barrel 2b so that the resin material becomes melted.

[0027] A coating step S2b involves fully coating the outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament 10 placed in the coating mold 2 with the melted resin material so as to wrap the carbon-fiber filament 10.

[0028] Then, referring to FIG. 6, after the protective-layer forming step S2, a cooling step S3 is performed by cooling the melted resin material now covering the carbon-fiber filament 10 using a cooling device 3, so as to cure the melted resin material of the protective layer 20.

[0029] In one embodiment, the cooling device 3 is a device of immersion cooling that uses a cooling liquid with a temperature lower than 60° C. to cool the carbon-fiber filament 10. While immersion cooling is described in the present embodiment as an example, cooling in this disclosure may be implemented otherwise, without limitation.

[0030] A lubricant-solution soaking step S4 involves soaking the cooled carbon-fiber filament 10 coated with the protective layer 20 in a lubricating device 4 containing a lubricant solution, and removing the carbon-fiber filament 10 from the lubricating device 4.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 8, in one embodiment, the lubricant-solution soaking step S4 may further comprise the following steps.

[0032] A solution-preparing step S4a is for preparing the lubricant solution based on calcium stearate. In the prepared lubricant solution, calcium stearate takes up about 30%~80% by weight. Particularly, the lubricant solution may contain other materials, including water, an organic solvent, a surface-active agent, and / or a dispersing agent, depending on practical needs or surface properties of the resin material. In the present embodiment, the lubricant solution is prepared using calcium stearate, water, and isopropanol.

[0033] When the ratio of calcium stearate in the lubricant solution is lower than 30%, the concentration of calcium stearate is undesirably low. Although the resulting average molecular weight of the lubricant solution is small, leading to better flowability and better adaptability to the rough surface of the carbon-fiber filament 10, the amount of calcium stearate per unit area is insufficient for providing desired lubricity. On the contrary, when the ratio of calcium stearate in the lubricant solution is higher than 80%, the lubricant solution would be undesirably viscous, making it difficult to apply calcium stearate evenly across the surface of the carbon-fiber filament 10. Therefore, according to this disclosure, the desired concentration of calcium stearate in the lubricant solution is 30%~80%.

[0034] A soaking step S4b involves soaking the cooled carbon-fiber filament 10 in the lubricant solution and then removing it.

[0035] With the foregoing steps, the lubricant solution absorbed by the outer surface of the protective layer 20 properly lubricates the protective layer 20. This eliminates the need of using additional lubricating additives to the protective layer 20 to modify properties of the protective layer 20.

[0036] Then, referring to FIG. 6, following the lubricant-solution soaking step S4, a drying step S5 is performed. Therein, the carbon-fiber filament 10 coated with the protective layer 20 that has absorbed the lubricant solution is dried using a drying apparatus 5. After the lubricant solution is dried, a plurality of lubricant particles is left and affixed to the outer surface of the protective layer 20 as the lubricant layer 30.

[0037] In one embodiment, following the drying step S5, a winding step S6 is performed. Therein, the completed carbon-fiber filament 10, i.e. the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 formed in the previous steps, is taken up and wound around a spool 6a by a winding machine 6. Briefly, the carbon-fiber filament 10 is continuously processed in a linear process as it coming out of the wire-feeding machine 1 and passing through the coating mold 2, the cooling device 3, the lubricating device 4, and the drying apparatus 5, successively before being taken up by the winding machine 6.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in one embodiment, the foregoing process for manufacturing the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 may be implemented using a roll-to-roll system. Particularly, the carbon-fiber filament 10 is introduced in the wire-feeding step S1, where it is drawn straight from a roll and fed into the coating mold 2. In the coating mold 2, the carbon-fiber filament 10 is coated with the melted resin material on its outer surface and wrapped so the at the protective-layer forming step S2 is finished. Afterward, the carbon-fiber filament 10 coated with the resin material enters the cooling device 3 for the cooling step S3 where the melted resin material is cooled and cured to form the protective layer 20. Then the carbon-fiber filament 10 coated with the protective layer 20 enters the lubricating device 4, where the lubricant solution containing lubricant particles is absorbed by the outer surface of the protective layer 20, thereby completing the lubricant-solution soaking step S4. The processed carbon-fiber filament 10 is then dried in the drying apparatus 5, so that the plurality of lubricant particles is left on the outer surface of the protective layer 20 as the lubricant layer 30. After the drying step S5, the now formed composite carbon-fiber wire 100 is guided to the winding machine 6 that winds the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 around the spool 6a.

[0039] While a roll-to-roll system is described in the present embodiment as an example, the method of this disclosure may be implemented otherwise, without limitation.

[0040] To sum up, this disclosure has the following advantages:

[0041] 1. The thermoplastic material with greater flexibility endows the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 with better impact resistance, durability, and flexural strength as compared to the original carbon-fiber filament 10, so the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 is more suitable for weaving applications as it is less likely to break during the weaving process and more capable of forming complex structures and / or shapes.

[0042] 2. The lubricant solution absorbed by the outer surface of the protective layer 20 properly lubricates the protective layer 20. This eliminates the need of using additional lubricating additives to the protective layer 20 to modify properties of the protective layer 20.

[0043] 3.By selecting the concentration of the lubricant solution, proper and even distribution of the lubricant particles across the outer surface of the protective layer 20 can be achieved to prevent an excessively high or low density of lubricant particles appearing in certain areas.

[0044] This disclosure has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments and it is understood that the embodiments are not intended to limit the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Moreover, as the contents disclosed herein should be readily understood and can be implemented by a person skilled in the art, all equivalent changes or modifications which do not depart from the concept of this disclosure should be encompassed by the appended claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0014]The following preferred embodiments when read with the accompanying drawings are made to clearly exhibit the above-mentioned and other technical contents, features, and effects of this disclosure. Through the exposition by means of the specific embodiments, people would further understand the technical means and effects this disclosure adopts to achieve the above-indicated objectives. However, the accompanying drawings are intended for reference and illustration, but not to limit this disclosure and are not made to scale.

[0015]Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 5, a composite carbon-fiber wire 100 as disclosed herein comprises a carbon-fiber filament 10, a protective layer 20, and a lubricant layer 30. The carbon-fiber filament 10 is formed by aggregating carbon-fiber tows that are purely made of carbon. The protective layer 20 is formed by coating an outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament 10 with a resin material to wrap the carbon-fiber filament 10. The lubricant layer 30 ...

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE1. Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to carbon-fiber filaments, and more particularly to a composite carbon-fiber wire and a method for manufacturing the same.2. Description of Related Art

[0002] In the art of making carbon-fiber filaments, carbon fiber has been extensively used in various structural materials and composite materials for its high strength and light weight. Particularly, in processes of weaving composite materials, carbon fiber contributes to the quality of final products with its performance and processability. However, there are some challenges in applications where carbon-fiber filaments are woven.SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0003] The primary objective of this disclosure is to address the challenges unsolved in the prior art that conventional carbon-fiber filaments when used to weave carbon-fiber fabric tend to break due to the use of resin with insufficient flexibility and can generate excessive friction during the weaving process.

[0004] To achieve the foregoing objective, one embodiment of this disclosure provides a composite carbon-fiber wire and a method for manufacturing the same. The composite carbon-fiber wire comprises a carbon-fiber filament, a protective layer, and a lubricant layer. The carbon-fiber filament is formed by aggregating carbon-fiber tows that are purely made of carbon. The protective layer is formed by coating a resin material to an outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament to wrap the carbon-fiber filament. The lubricant layer is formed by affixing lubricant particles to an outer surface of the protective layer.

[0005] By using a thermoplastic resin material to form the protective layer, flexibility of the manufactured carbon-fiber wire can be enhanced. Furthermore, by soaking the carbon-fiber filament in a lubricant solution, friction of the manufactured carbon-fiber wire that affects the subsequent weaving process can be reduced. The two jointly improve the processibility of the manufactured carbon-fiber wire. Additionally, the lubricant solution in the soaking step only reaches the outer surface of the protective layer rather than permeating the carbon-fiber filament and accelerating degradation of the carbon-fiber filament.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective cut-away view of a composite carbon-fiber wire.

[0007] FIG. 2 is a front perspective of the composite carbon-fiber wire.

[0008] FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of two-dimensional fabric woven from the composite carbon-fiber wire.

[0009] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a system for manufacturing the composite carbon-fiber wire.

[0010] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the system for manufacturing the composite carbon-fiber wire from one side.

[0011] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing the composite carbon-fiber wire.

[0012] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a protective-layer forming step of the disclosed method.

[0013] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a lubricant-solution soaking step of the disclosed method.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0014] The following preferred embodiments when read with the accompanying drawings are made to clearly exhibit the above-mentioned and other technical contents, features, and effects of this disclosure. Through the exposition by means of the specific embodiments, people would further understand the technical means and effects this disclosure adopts to achieve the above-indicated objectives. However, the accompanying drawings are intended for reference and illustration, but not to limit this disclosure and are not made to scale.

[0015] Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 5, a composite carbon-fiber wire 100 as disclosed herein comprises a carbon-fiber filament 10, a protective layer 20, and a lubricant layer 30. The carbon-fiber filament 10 is formed by aggregating carbon-fiber tows that are purely made of carbon. The protective layer 20 is formed by coating an outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament 10 with a resin material to wrap the carbon-fiber filament 10. The lubricant layer 30 is formed by affixing lubricant particles to an outer surface of the protective layer 20. Thereby, the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 is more flexible and less fricative than the unprocessed carbon-fiber filament 10. This facilitates the subsequent weaving process. Additionally, the lubricant solution during the soaking step only reaches the outer surface of the protective layer 20. This eliminates the risk that the lubricant solution would otherwise permeate the carbon-fiber filament 10 and accelerate degradation of the carbon-fiber filament 10.

[0016] In one embodiment, the protective layer 20 is made by coating the outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament 10 with a thermoplastic resin material, which may be polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone, nylon, poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), etc.

[0017] The use of the thermoplastic resin material provides advantages like making the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 re-processible and allowing a more flexible manufacturing process, thereby saving both time and money. In addition, the thermoplastic resin material is selected to have good recyclability, which allows it to be recycled during the manufacturing process. This consequently helps reduce waste of the material and reduce impact on the environment. It is also to be noted that when the thermoplastic resin material is cured, it has good flexibility, which leads to high impact resistance and durability, making the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 particularly suitable for complex structures and / or shapes.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 2, the carbon-fiber filament 10 has a diameter D. A ratio between the diameter D of the carbon-fiber filament 10 and a thickness T of the protective layer 20 is between 0.5:1 and 4:1. The ratio between the diameter D of the carbon-fiber filament 10 and the thickness T of the protective layer 20 may be designed according to practical needs in terms of impact resistance, toughness, cost, or product requirement. In a preferred embodiment, the ratio between the diameter D of the carbon-fiber filament 10 and the thickness T of the protective layer 20 is 1:1.

[0019] When the ratio between the diameter D of the carbon-fiber filament 10 and the thickness T of the protective layer 20 is smaller than 0.5:1, the thickness T of the protective layer 20 is undesirably large, and the overall weight of the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 can be undesirably increased due to the heavy protective layer 20, yet this is not helpful to the overall structural strength. When the ratio between the diameter D of the carbon-fiber filament 10 and the thickness T of the protective layer 20 is greater than 4, the thickness T of the protective layer 20 is too small. This may lead to incomplete coverage of the protective layer 20, as well as the lubricant particles it carries, and prevent the protective layer 20 from effectively protecting the carbon-fiber filament 10. Consequently, the overall flexural strength of the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 is impaired.

[0020] The lubricant layer 30 is formed by affixing lubricant particles to the outer surface of the protective layer 20. In one embodiment, the lubricant particles are made of calcium stearate.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, the carbon-fiber filament 10, in the form of a thread, is coated with the thermoplastic resin material, and the lubricant layer 30 is attached thereto to reduce friction at the outer surface of the protective layer 20, making it easy to weave the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 into two-dimensional fabric.

[0022] Additionally, this disclosure provides a method for manufacturing the composite carbon-fiber wire 100, as shown in FIG. 4 through FIG. 8. The method comprises the following steps.

[0023] A wire-feeding step S1 involves drawing the carbon-fiber filament 10 using a wire-feeding machine 1, wherein the carbon-fiber filament 10 is formed by aggregating carbon-fiber tows that are purely made of carbon.

[0024] A protective-layer forming step S2 involves placing the carbon-fiber filament 10 into a coating mold 2 to coat the melted resin material across the outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament 10, thereby forming the protective layer 20.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 7, in one embodiment, the protective-layer forming step S2 may further comprise the following steps.

[0026] A melting step S2a involves feeding the resin material in a solid state into a screw barrel 2b through a feeding hopper 2a, and conveying the resin material in the screw barrel 2b. The resin material is gradually compressed and heated as it advances in the screw barrel 2b so that the resin material becomes melted.

[0027] A coating step S2b involves fully coating the outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament 10 placed in the coating mold 2 with the melted resin material so as to wrap the carbon-fiber filament 10.

[0028] Then, referring to FIG. 6, after the protective-layer forming step S2, a cooling step S3 is performed by cooling the melted resin material now covering the carbon-fiber filament 10 using a cooling device 3, so as to cure the melted resin material of the protective layer 20.

[0029] In one embodiment, the cooling device 3 is a device of immersion cooling that uses a cooling liquid with a temperature lower than 60° C. to cool the carbon-fiber filament 10. While immersion cooling is described in the present embodiment as an example, cooling in this disclosure may be implemented otherwise, without limitation.

[0030] A lubricant-solution soaking step S4 involves soaking the cooled carbon-fiber filament 10 coated with the protective layer 20 in a lubricating device 4 containing a lubricant solution, and removing the carbon-fiber filament 10 from the lubricating device 4.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 8, in one embodiment, the lubricant-solution soaking step S4 may further comprise the following steps.

[0032] A solution-preparing step S4a is for preparing the lubricant solution based on calcium stearate. In the prepared lubricant solution, calcium stearate takes up about 30%~80% by weight. Particularly, the lubricant solution may contain other materials, including water, an organic solvent, a surface-active agent, and / or a dispersing agent, depending on practical needs or surface properties of the resin material. In the present embodiment, the lubricant solution is prepared using calcium stearate, water, and isopropanol.

[0033] When the ratio of calcium stearate in the lubricant solution is lower than 30%, the concentration of calcium stearate is undesirably low. Although the resulting average molecular weight of the lubricant solution is small, leading to better flowability and better adaptability to the rough surface of the carbon-fiber filament 10, the amount of calcium stearate per unit area is insufficient for providing desired lubricity. On the contrary, when the ratio of calcium stearate in the lubricant solution is higher than 80%, the lubricant solution would be undesirably viscous, making it difficult to apply calcium stearate evenly across the surface of the carbon-fiber filament 10. Therefore, according to this disclosure, the desired concentration of calcium stearate in the lubricant solution is 30%~80%.

[0034] A soaking step S4b involves soaking the cooled carbon-fiber filament 10 in the lubricant solution and then removing it.

[0035] With the foregoing steps, the lubricant solution absorbed by the outer surface of the protective layer 20 properly lubricates the protective layer 20. This eliminates the need of using additional lubricating additives to the protective layer 20 to modify properties of the protective layer 20.

[0036] Then, referring to FIG. 6, following the lubricant-solution soaking step S4, a drying step S5 is performed. Therein, the carbon-fiber filament 10 coated with the protective layer 20 that has absorbed the lubricant solution is dried using a drying apparatus 5. After the lubricant solution is dried, a plurality of lubricant particles is left and affixed to the outer surface of the protective layer 20 as the lubricant layer 30.

[0037] In one embodiment, following the drying step S5, a winding step S6 is performed. Therein, the completed carbon-fiber filament 10, i.e. the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 formed in the previous steps, is taken up and wound around a spool 6a by a winding machine 6. Briefly, the carbon-fiber filament 10 is continuously processed in a linear process as it coming out of the wire-feeding machine 1 and passing through the coating mold 2, the cooling device 3, the lubricating device 4, and the drying apparatus 5, successively before being taken up by the winding machine 6.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in one embodiment, the foregoing process for manufacturing the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 may be implemented using a roll-to-roll system. Particularly, the carbon-fiber filament 10 is introduced in the wire-feeding step S1, where it is drawn straight from a roll and fed into the coating mold 2. In the coating mold 2, the carbon-fiber filament 10 is coated with the melted resin material on its outer surface and wrapped so the at the protective-layer forming step S2 is finished. Afterward, the carbon-fiber filament 10 coated with the resin material enters the cooling device 3 for the cooling step S3 where the melted resin material is cooled and cured to form the protective layer 20. Then the carbon-fiber filament 10 coated with the protective layer 20 enters the lubricating device 4, where the lubricant solution containing lubricant particles is absorbed by the outer surface of the protective layer 20, thereby completing the lubricant-solution soaking step S4. The processed carbon-fiber filament 10 is then dried in the drying apparatus 5, so that the plurality of lubricant particles is left on the outer surface of the protective layer 20 as the lubricant layer 30. After the drying step S5, the now formed composite carbon-fiber wire 100 is guided to the winding machine 6 that winds the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 around the spool 6a.

[0039] While a roll-to-roll system is described in the present embodiment as an example, the method of this disclosure may be implemented otherwise, without limitation.

[0040] To sum up, this disclosure has the following advantages:

[0041] 1. The thermoplastic material with greater flexibility endows the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 with better impact resistance, durability, and flexural strength as compared to the original carbon-fiber filament 10, so the composite carbon-fiber wire 100 is more suitable for weaving applications as it is less likely to break during the weaving process and more capable of forming complex structures and / or shapes.

[0042] 2. The lubricant solution absorbed by the outer surface of the protective layer 20 properly lubricates the protective layer 20. This eliminates the need of using additional lubricating additives to the protective layer 20 to modify properties of the protective layer 20.

[0043] 3.By selecting the concentration of the lubricant solution, proper and even distribution of the lubricant particles across the outer surface of the protective layer 20 can be achieved to prevent an excessively high or low density of lubricant particles appearing in certain areas.

[0044] This disclosure has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments and it is understood that the embodiments are not intended to limit the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Moreover, as the contents disclosed herein should be readily understood and can be implemented by a person skilled in the art, all equivalent changes or modifications which do not depart from the concept of this disclosure should be encompassed by the appended claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0014]The following preferred embodiments when read with the accompanying drawings are made to clearly exhibit the above-mentioned and other technical contents, features, and effects of this disclosure. Through the exposition by means of the specific embodiments, people would further understand the technical means and effects this disclosure adopts to achieve the above-indicated objectives. However, the accompanying drawings are intended for reference and illustration, but not to limit this disclosure and are not made to scale.

[0015]Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 5, a composite carbon-fiber wire 100 as disclosed herein comprises a carbon-fiber filament 10, a protective layer 20, and a lubricant layer 30. The carbon-fiber filament 10 is formed by aggregating carbon-fiber tows that are purely made of carbon. The protective layer 20 is formed by coating an outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament 10 with a resin material to wrap the carbon-fiber filament 10. The lubricant layer 30 ...

Claims

1. A composite carbon-fiber wire, comprising:a carbon-fiber filament, being formed by aggregating a plurality of carbon-fiber tows that are purely made of carbon;a protective layer, being formed by coating an outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament with a resin material, thereby wrapping the carbon-fiber filament; anda lubricant layer, being formed by affixing a plurality of lubricant particles to an outer surface of the protective layer.

2. The composite carbon-fiber wire of claim 1, wherein the resin material is a thermoplastic resin material.

3. The composite carbon-fiber wire of claim 1, wherein the resin material is selected from a group consisting of polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone, and nylon.

4. The composite carbon-fiber wire of claim 1, wherein the lubricant particles comprise calcium stearate.

5. The composite carbon-fiber wire of claim 1, wherein a ratio between a diameter of the carbon-fiber filament and a thickness of the protective layer is between 0.5:1 and 4:1.

6. The composite carbon-fiber wire of claim 1, wherein a ratio between a diameter of the carbon-fiber filament and a thickness of the protective layer is 1:1.

7. A method for manufacturing a composite carbon-fiber wire, comprising:a wire-feeding step: drawing a carbon-fiber filament using a wire-feeding machine, wherein the carbon-fiber filament is formed by aggregating a plurality of carbon-fiber tows that are purely made of carbon;a protective-layer forming step: placing the carbon-fiber filament into a coating mold to coat a melted resin material across an outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament, thereby forming a protective layer;a cooling step: cooling the melted resin material now covering the carbon-fiber filament using a cooling device, so as to cure the melted resin material of the protective layer;a lubricant-solution soaking step: soaking the cooled carbon-fiber filament in a lubricating device containing a lubricant solution, and removing the carbon-fiber filament from the lubricating device; anda drying step: drying the lubricant solution absorbed by the protective layer using a drying apparatus, so as to leave a plurality of lubricant particles across an outer surface of the protective layer as a lubricant layer, thereby forming the composite carbon-fiber wire.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the protective-layer forming step further comprises:a melting step: feeding the resin material in a solid state into a screw barrel through a feeding hopper, so that the resin material becomes melted; anda coating step: fully coating the outer surface of the carbon-fiber filament placed in the coating mold with the melted resin material so as to wrap the carbon-fiber filament.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the resin material used in the protective-layer forming step is a thermoplastic resin material.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the resin material is selected from a group consisting of polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone, and nylon.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the lubricant-solution soaking step further comprises:a solution-preparing step: preparing the lubricant solution based on calcium stearate, in which a concentration of calcium stearate in the lubricant solution is 30%~80% by weight; anda soaking step: soaking the cooled carbon-fiber filament with the protective layer in the lubricant solution and removing it.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising a winding step after the drying step, wherein the winding step comprises taking up and winding the completed carbon-fiber filament around a spool using a winding machine. The carbon-fiber filament passes through the wire-feeding machine, the coating mold, the cooling device, the lubricating device, the drying apparatus, and the winding machine in a continuous linear process sequence.

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