Color Transfer Media for Durable Laminate Composite Coloration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laminated reinforced materials are typically plain in color and not easily colorable, with existing methods like painting resulting in fading and flaking issues, especially in flexible materials, lacking visual appeal and durability.
Innovation Solution
A method involving applying dye to a transfer media, placing it in contact with the composite material, and using heat, pressure, or vacuum in an autoclave to infuse the dye, while optionally curing with UV or electron beam radiation, and adding coatings like polyimide or PVF films to create a colored, patterned, and durable composite material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If painting is used to add color to laminated material, then coloration is achieved, but the paint flakes off through use and fades in sunlight over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating colorants into the laminate material during the manufacturing process itself, rather than applying paint afterward. The color is integrated into the resin system before lamination, ensuring it becomes part of the material structure and cannot flake or fade separately from the substrate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the coloring function with the laminate material by integrating colorants directly into the resin system. This combines the structural material and colorant into a single unified composite, eliminating the separate paint layer that causes flaking and fading issues.
2Illumination intensity
If additional layers of films or woven cloth are combined with laminated reinforced materials to produce colorable fabric, then visual appeal is improved, but the complexity of the material structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing coloration and visual appeal specifically in the outer surface layers of the laminate that are visible to consumers, while maintaining the plain, high-performance core structure. This allows aesthetic enhancement without requiring complex multi-layer constructions throughout the entire material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by integrating colorants within the resin system of the laminate itself, creating a composite that combines structural reinforcement, coloration, and durability in a single material system rather than requiring separate functional layers.
3Reliability
If laminated reinforced materials are made plain and resistant to fading, then durability is maintained, but visual appeal and cosmetic appearance are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses preliminary action by pre-integrating colorants into the resin system during manufacturing, ensuring the color is permanently bonded within the material structure before the laminate is completed. This preliminary incorporation ensures both fade resistance and visual appeal are achieved simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the contradictory requirements of fade resistance and visual appeal by combining the colorant integration with the resin curing process. The color becomes an intrinsic part of the cured resin matrix, providing both aesthetic appearance and long-term fade resistance through this unified approach.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method allows for efficient, long-lasting color infusion and patterning on composite materials, enhancing their visual appeal and durability, suitable for various applications requiring high performance and cosmetic appearance.
Implementation Method 1
applying, using an autoclave, at least one of heat, external pressure, vacuum pressure to infuse the dye to the composite material
Implementation Method 2
applying, using an autoclave, at least one of heat, external pressure, vacuum pressure to infuse the dye to the composite material
Implementation Method 3
applying, using an autoclave, at least one of heat, external pressure, vacuum pressure to infuse the dye to the composite material
Implementation Method 4
curing the dye, by applying at least one ultraviolet or electron beam radiation, to the composite material
Implementation Method 5
curing the dye, by applying at least one ultraviolet or electron beam radiation, to the composite material
Data Source
AI summary
A method of transferring a dye to a composite material comprising applying the dye to a transfer media to create a colored transfer media, placing the colored transfer media into contact with the composite material, and applying, using an autoclave, at least one of heat, external pressure, vacuum pressure to infuse the dye to the composite material to create a colored composite material.