Cable tie employing composite of nylon and carbon nanotubes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10029834-B2
Application number	US-201414474378-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2014
Priority date	Oct 15, 2013
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

Cable ties employing a composite of nylon and carbon nanotubes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable tie capable of bundling or securing a group of articles, the cable tie comprising:
a tail at one end of the cable tie;
a head at the other end of the cable tie, the head having a locking device and configured to insertably accommodate the tail; and
a planar strap therebetween;
wherein the cable tie consists of a composite of a polymer and carbon nanotubes.

2. The cable tie of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is nylon.

3. The cable tie of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is nylon 6,6.

4. The cable tie of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is nylon 6.

5. The cable tie of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are chemically functionalized.

6. The cable tie of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are present in the composite in an amount between 0.05 wt % and 20 wt %.

7. The cable tie of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are present in the cable tie in an amount between 0.05 wt % and 0.5 wt %.

8. The cable tie of claim 1 , wherein the cable tie exhibits an increase in tensile strength of 20% or greater compared with a cable tie consisting of nylon 6,6 matrix.

9. A method of preparing the cable tie according to claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
dispersing the carbon nanotubes into a polymer matrix via a process selected from a solution composition, melt composition, and in-situ composition technique such that the composite is formed, wherein the composite comprises the carbon nanotubes in an amount from 0.05 wt % and 20 wt %;
extruding or molding the composite to form particles;
melting particles of the composite, optionally with nylon 6,6 resin, to form a molten material; and
molding the cable tie from the molten material.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cable tie comprises the carbon nanotubes in an amount between 0.05 wt % and 0.5 wt %.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising dispersing carbon fibers in the polymer matrix.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the carbon fibers are present in the polymer matrix in an amount between 1 wt % and 10 wt %.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the particles are melted with nylon 6 , 6 resin.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the polymer is nylon.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the polymer is nylon 6.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the polymer is nylon 6,6.

17. The method of claim 9 , further comprising processing carbon nanotubes to form chemically functionalized carbon nanotubes prior to dispersing.

18. A method of preparing the cable tie according to claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
dispersing the carbon nanotubes into a polymer matrix via a process selected from a solution composition, melt composition, and in-situ composition technique such that the composite is formed, wherein the composite comprises the carbon nanotubes in an amount from 0.05 wt % and 20 wt %;
extruding or molding the composite to form particles;
melting particles of the composite to form a molten material; and
molding the cable tie from the molten material.

19. A cable tie capable of bundling or securing a group of articles, the cable tie comprising:
a tail at one end of the cable tie;
a head at the other end of the cable tie, the head having a locking device and configured to insertably accommodate the tail; and
a planar strap therebetween;
wherein the cable tie consists of a composite of a polymer, carbon nanotubes, and carbon fibers.

20. The cable tie of claim 19 , wherein the carbon fibers are present in an amount of between 1 wt % and 10 wt %.

Assignees

• Thomas & Betts Int Llc
• Thomas & Betts Int Llc

Inventors

• Gao Yan
• Neal Alan D

Classifications

• B29K2507/04

  Carbon · CPC title

• B29K2077/00

  Use of {PA, i.e.} polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• B65D63/1027 Primary

  the integral securing member being formed as a female and male locking member, e.g. locking head and locking teeth, or the like · CPC title

• C08L2205/02

  containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group · CPC title

• B29C48/04

  Particle-shaped (making granules B29B9/00) · CPC title