Biomaterial-Infused Thermoplastic Composite Core Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite articles lack effective integration of biomaterials, particularly bioparticles and biofibers, which limits their structural integrity, sustainability, and functional properties such as flame resistance and moldability.
Innovation Solution
The development of thermoplastic composite articles that incorporate a porous core layer with randomly crossing reinforcing fibers and a skin layer, where the core layer includes bioparticles or biofibers from sources like rice hulls, coconut shells, and coffee chaff, and the skin layer can also comprise biomaterials, enhancing structural properties and sustainability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If biomaterials are integrated into fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite articles, then sustainability and functional properties (flame resistance, compression resistance) are improved, but manufacturing complexity and material integration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates biomaterials (bioparticles and/or biofibers) with traditional fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite materials to create a multi-component composite structure. This composite approach combines the sustainability and functional properties of biomaterials with the structural integrity of traditional composites, resolving the contradiction by achieving enhanced flame resistance and compression resistance while maintaining manufacturability through a layered architecture where biomaterials are incorporated into specific layers (core or skin) rather than throughout the entire structure
2Reliability
If bioparticles are added to the composite structure, then sustainability and functional properties are enhanced, but homogeneity of material distribution becomes more difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by incorporating bioparticles and/or biofibers into specific layers (core layer or skin layer) rather than uniformly distributing them throughout the entire composite structure. This localized incorporation ensures homogeneous distribution within the target layer while maintaining overall structural integrity and avoiding the homogeneity issues that would arise from random throughout distribution
Solution Approach 2:
The composite article is segmented into distinct layers (core layer and skin layer), with biomaterials incorporated into specific segments. This segmentation allows for controlled distribution of bioparticles within defined regions, improving homogeneity within each layer while enabling different functional properties in different parts of the composite structure
3Reliability
If a porous core layer with biomaterials is created, then compression resistance and flame resistance are improved, but manufacturing precision and density control become more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes a porous core layer structure containing bioparticles and/or biofibers, where controlled porosity is engineered to enhance compression resistance and flame resistance. The porous structure allows for optimized mechanical properties and thermal performance while maintaining manufacturability through established composite fabrication processes that can control pore formation and distribution
Data Source
AI summary
Thermoplastic composite articles are described that comprise biomaterials in one or more of a core layer and a skin layer. In certain arrangements, the thermoplastic composite article can include a porous core layer comprising a web of open celled structures comprising random crossing over of a plurality of reinforcing fibers held together by a thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic material can include virgin and recycled thermoplastic materials if desired. The web may also comprise biomaterials that can be bioparticles, biofibers or both. Exterior and interior components including the thermoplastic composite articles are also described.