Vinyl Ester Fiber Sizing Agent for Carbon Fiber Binding Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fiber sizing agents fail to provide sufficient binding ability for carbon fibers, resulting in molded articles with inadequate strength, particularly in terms of flexural strength, compressive strength, and interlaminar shear strength.
Innovation Solution
A fiber sizing agent comprising a vinyl ester resin with an alkoxy polyoxyalkylene structure and an epoxy compound, specifically designed to enhance fiber binding capabilities, including a urethane linkage and a specific molecular weight range, is used to treat glass and carbon fibers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a known fiber sizing agent including an aliphatic epoxy compound and a compound with terminal unsaturated group and polar group is used, then the fiber sizing agent can be applied to glass fibers, but it does not have sufficient binding ability for carbon fibers resulting in molded articles with insufficient strength
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical parameters of the fiber sizing agent by incorporating a vinyl ester resin with specific molecular structure (formula 1) containing polyoxyalkylene units and carboxyl groups, along with specific epoxy compounds having aromatic rings. This chemical parameter modification enables the sizing agent to achieve sufficient binding ability for carbon fibers while maintaining compatibility with glass fibers, thereby resolving the contradiction between strength and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite fiber sizing system by combining multiple components: vinyl ester resin (formula 1), specific epoxy compounds (formulae 2-4), and optional silane coupling agents. This composite approach allows the sizing agent to simultaneously provide adhesion to both carbon fibers and glass fibers, achieving versatile applicability across different fiber types while ensuring high binding ability and molded article strength.
2Strength
If conventional fiber sizing agents are used to bind fibers together, then fiber bundling is achieved, but the molded articles produced do not have sufficient flexural strength, compressive strength, and interlaminar shear strength
Solution Approach 1:
The invention modifies the chemical composition parameters of the fiber sizing agent by incorporating vinyl ester resin with polyoxyalkylene units and carboxyl groups, combined with specific aromatic epoxy compounds. These parameter changes enhance the chemical bonding capability between the sizing agent and carbon fibers, resulting in improved flexural strength, compressive strength, and interlaminar shear strength of the molded articles while maintaining reliable and consistent fiber binding.
3Strength
If a fiber sizing agent with enhanced binding ability is developed, then molded article strength is improved, but the complexity of the sizing agent composition increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention achieves enhanced molded article strength by optimizing the chemical parameters of the fiber sizing agent components, specifically the vinyl ester resin structure (formula 1) and epoxy compound structures (formulae 2-4). Rather than adding numerous components, the invention focuses on precise structural parameters of key components, thereby improving strength without excessive increase in compositional complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and focuses on the essential functional components needed for high-strength bonding: the vinyl ester resin with specific polyoxyalkylene and carboxyl group structure, and the aromatic epoxy compounds. By identifying and utilizing only these critical components, the invention achieves high molded article strength while avoiding unnecessary complexity in the sizing agent composition.
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 proposed fiber sizing agent significantly improves the strength of molded articles by enhancing fiber binding ability, leading to superior flexural, compressive, and interlaminar shear strengths, making it suitable for high-strength applications in materials like carbon fiber-reinforced plastics.
Implementation Method 1
a fiber sizing agent including a vinyl ester resin (A), an epoxy compound (B), and an aqueous medium. The vinyl ester resin (A) has an alkoxy polyoxyalkylene structure and a urethane linkage
Implementation Method 2
an epoxy compound (B)
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a fiber sizing agent including a vinyl ester resin (A), an epoxy compound (B), and an aqueous medium. The vinyl ester resin (A) has an alkoxy polyoxyalkylene structure and a urethane linkage. The fiber sizing agent exhibits excellent binding ability for various fibers, such as glass fibers and carbon fibers. Molded articles produced from a molding material including the fiber sizing agent have various excellent physical properties, and examples of the physical properties include flexural strength, compressive strength, and interlaminar shear strength. Accordingly, the molded articles can be used, for example, in automotive parts, aircraft parts, windmill parts, industrial parts, and the like.