Method for producing a semi-finished product to be made into a CFRP component, from carbon-fiber scrap

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10071505-B2
Application number	US-201615090718-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2016
Priority date	Nov 5, 2013
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A method is provided in which suitable carbon-fiber scrap is fed, together with a plastic polymer, to a pulverizer and extruder in order to produce a carbon-fiber polymer mass therefrom and to impregnate the mass with a resin. A regrind prepreg, which is given suitable forms and/or lengths, is thus obtained. The regrind prepregs thus obtained can then be given an approximately final form in an additional step by way of an extrusion process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a semi-finished product, the semi-finished product to be made into a carbon fiber-reinforced component, the method comprising the steps of:
feeding carbon fiber scrap into an extruder;
adding a plastic polymer to the extruder;
pulverizing the carbon fiber scrap and blending the pulverized scrap with the plastic polymer to form a polymer mass;
impregnating the polymer mass formed with a resin in order to form a regrind prepreg;
cutting the regrind prepreg to suitable lengths after the regrind prepreg exits the extruder to produce a cut prepreg;
extruding the cut prepreg to reshape the cut regrind prepreg into the semi-finished product; and
wherein the feeding, adding, pulverizing, impregnating, cutting, and extruding acts are performed in a continuous process.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plastic polymer is a thermoplastic.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plastic polymer is a duroplastic.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pulverizing of the carbon fiber scrap occurs directly in the extruder.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the pulverizing of the carbon fiber scrap occurs directly in the extruder.

6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the pulverizing of the carbon fiber scrap occurs directly in the extruder.

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the extruder used for the pulverization of the carbon fiber scrap has a screw geometry adapted to a desired degree of pulverization.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the suitable lengths are given lengths at defined intervals.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cut regrind prepreg after exiting the extruder is placed in a shaping cavity for extruding the cut regrind prepreg.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the cut regrind prepreg after exiting the extruder is placed in a shaping cavity for extruding the cut regrind prepreg.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein extruding the cut regrind prepreg is performed in a die.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the die is a pressing die, and the cut regrind prepreg is fed to a shaping cavity of the pressing die for extrusion and is pressed via a pressing punch.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the semi-finished product is hardened in the die after extrusion.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the semi-finished product is hardened in the die after the extrusion.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Dauner Willy
• Huber Stephan

Classifications

• B29C47/04

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B29C47/0004

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B29C2793/009

  after shaping · CPC title

• B29C47/0019

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B29K2307/04

  Carbon · CPC title