Reactive Thermoplastic Composite Pellets for Full Fiber Impregnation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for producing thermoplastic composites with continuous fibers face challenges such as high melt viscosities leading to incomplete resin impregnation, fiber breakage, and poor mechanical properties, while thermoset composites are difficult to repair and recycle due to their crosslinking nature.

Innovation Solution

The use of low-viscosity reactive thermoplastic resin compositions that can be melted and fully impregnate continuous fibers, followed by polymerization to form a thermoplastic matrix, improving mechanical properties like tensile strength and impact resistance, and allowing for recycling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional high-viscosity thermoplastic resin is used, then the resin can provide structural integrity, but it causes incomplete fiber impregnation and poor mechanical properties

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefiber impregnation completenessVSAvoidcomposite mechanical properties

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the viscosity parameter of the thermoplastic resin by using reactive resins that have low viscosity in their uncured state, allowing complete fiber impregnation. After impregnation, the resin undergoes polymerization to achieve the desired structural integrity and mechanical properties, thus resolving the contradiction between low viscosity for impregnation and high viscosity for strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by first impregnating the fibers with low-viscosity reactive resin before the resin polymerizes. This ensures complete fiber coverage and distribution, and then the resin is cured to achieve the final mechanical properties, separating the impregnation phase from the strengthening phase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If thermoset resin is used for fiber-reinforced articles, then ease of manufacture is improved, but repairability and recyclability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidrepairability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by using thermoplastic resins instead of thermoset resins. Thermoplastics can be melted and reformed, enabling repair through welding and recycling through remelting, while still maintaining ease of manufacture through processes like injection molding and extrusion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the chemical structure parameter from crosslinked thermoset networks to linear or branched thermoplastic chains, which can be melted and reprocessed. This parameter change enables both ease of manufacture and repairability/recyclability simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If conventional extrusion compounding is used to produce thermoplastic composites, then production efficiency is improved, but fiber length is reduced to very short lengths

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidfiber length

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-impregnating the fibers with reactive thermoplastic resin before compounding. This ensures that fibers are already coated with resin, reducing the need for intensive mixing during extrusion and minimizing fiber breakage, thus maintaining longer fiber lengths while preserving production efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical mixing system with a chemical bonding approach where reactive resin forms strong bonds between fibers during extrusion. This reduces the need for intensive mechanical shear that breaks fibers, allowing longer fibers to be processed efficiently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 results in thermoplastic composite articles with enhanced mechanical properties and the ability to recycle, reducing production costs and environmental impact by enabling the reuse of materials.

Implementation Method 1

The reactive resin composition may be melted in a melting device, such as an extruder

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMelting: Melting

Implementation Method 2

The low-viscosity reactive thermoplastic resin compositions are significantly easier to wet and mix with the fibers compared to a high-viscosity melt of the polymerized thermoplastic resin

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPolymerization: Photopolymerisation

Data Source

PatentUS11231906B2Manufacturing thermoplastic composites and articles

Publication Date: 2022.01.25 JOHNS MANVILLE CORP

AI summary

Embodiments of the present technology may include a method of making a thermoplastic composite concentrates. The method may include melting a low-viscosity reactive resin to form a molten reactive resin. The method may also include fully impregnating a plurality of continuous fibers with the molten reactive resin in an impregnation device. The method may further include polymerizing the molten reactive resin to form a thermoplastic composite strand. In addition, the method may include chopping the thermoplastic composite strand into a plurality of pellets to form a plurality of thermoplastic composite concentrates.