Thermoplastic Pressure Vessel with Polyamide Matrix
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pressure vessels, such as type IV tanks with thermoplastic liners and type V tanks with polyamide 12 and carbon fibers, face limitations in structural integrity, acid resistance, and permeation properties, making them unsuitable for stringent safety applications like hydrogen or CNG storage.
Innovation Solution
A pressure vessel with a hollow body comprising endless fibers embedded in a thermoplastic matrix, where the matrix consists of polyamides with a CH2-ratio of at least 5.5 and less than 10, providing improved structural integrity and acid resistance, and suitable for use in hydrogen or CNG vessels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If polyamide 12 and carbon fibers are used (type V tank), then structural integrity is improved, but acid resistance and permeation properties deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite material system consisting of carbon fiber reinforcement combined with polyamide 6 or polyamide 6/6 blend matrix. This composite structure achieves both high structural integrity and superior acid resistance by leveraging the complementary properties of the fiber reinforcement and the chemically resistant polyamide matrix.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies precise compositional parameters for the polyamide matrix, requiring polyamide 6 content to be between 5-50 wt% and polyamide 6/6 content between 50-95 wt%, with additional constraints on CH2-ratio (5.5 ≤ CH2-ratio < 10) and melting point (180-220°C). These parameter controls optimize both structural performance and chemical resistance.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If polyamide 6 is used, then acid resistance is improved, but structural integrity and permeation resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite material system consisting of carbon fiber reinforcement combined with polyamide 6 or polyamide 6/6 blend matrix. This composite structure achieves both high structural integrity and superior acid resistance by leveraging the complementary properties of the fiber reinforcement and the chemically resistant polyamide matrix.
3Weight of moving object
If type IV tanks with thermoplastic liner and thermoset composite are used, then weight is reduced, but recyclability deteriorates and buckling occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from thermoset composites to thermoplastic composite materials, fundamentally changing the material state from cross-linked and irreversible to melt-processable and recyclable. The specified melting point range (180-220°C) enables controlled recycling while maintaining structural performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using thermoset composites that provide structural integrity but prevent recycling, the patent inverts the approach by using thermoplastic matrices that enable both structural performance and recyclability through their reversible melting and reprocessing characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a pressure vessel comprising a hollow body comprising endless fibers embedded in a thermoplastic polymer, in which the thermoplastic polymer comprises one or more polyamides containing one or more aliphatic monomeric units, wherein the one or more polyamides have a CH2-ratio of at least 5.5 and less than 10, calculated by identifying the number of different aliphatic monomeric units in the one or more polyamides; determining the number of CH2 groups per aliphatic monomeric unit for each of these different aliphatic monomeric units; calculating the sum of the so determined numbers of CH2 groups; dividing said sum by the number of different aliphatic monomeric units in the one or more polyamides; taking into account only the aliphatic monomeric units present in the one or more polyamides in an amount of at least 10 wt% with respect to the total weight of the one or more polyamides.