Method for producing fibre composites from amorphous, chemically modified polymers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10508180-B2
Application number	US-201615567430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2016
Priority date	Apr 22, 2015
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing thermoplastic fibre composites made from a thermoplastic matrix (M) comprising a thermoplastic moulding compound (A) and reinforcing fibres (B). Said method has technical advantages when it comprises the following steps: i) a flat structure (F) made of reinforcing fibres (B) is provided, ii) the flat structure (F) is introduced into a matrix M, iii) functional groups of the matrix are reacted with polar groups of the reinforcing fibres (B), iv) the fibre composite materials is consolidated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material from a thermoplastic matrix M comprising at least one thermoplastic molding compound A and reinforcing fibers B, comprising the steps of:
i) providing at least one sheetlike structure F composed of reinforcing fibers B,
ii) introducing the at least one sheetlike structure F into a thermoplastic matrix M,
iii) reacting functional groups in the thermoplastic matrix M with polar groups on the surface of the reinforcing fibers B,
iv) consolidating the fiber composite material, and
v) optionally cooling and further process steps,
wherein the sheetlike structure F is selected from the group consisting of weaves, mats, nonwovens, scrims, and knits,
wherein the sheetlike structure F permeates more than 50% of the area of the fiber composite material in two of the three spatial directions, and
wherein step (iii) is conducted at a temperature of at least 200° C. wherein the residence time at temperatures of at least 200° C. is not more than 10 minutes.

2. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fiber composite material comprises
a) at least one thermoplastic molding compound as matrix M,
b) at least one sheetlike structure F composed of reinforcing fibers B, and
c) optionally at least one additive C,
in which multiple sheetlike structures F composed of reinforcing fibers B have been embedded into the matrix M and the thermoplastic molding compound A has at least one chemically reactive functionality.

3. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fiber composite material consists of:
a) 30% to 95% by weight of the thermoplastic matrix M,
b) 5% to 70% by weight of the reinforcing fibers B, and
c) 0% to 40% by weight of the additive C.

4. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic molding compound A used as matrix M is amorphous.

5. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic molding compound A is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene (glass-clear or impact-resistant), styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers, alpha-methylstyrene-acrylonitrile copolymers, impact modified acrylonitrile-styrene copolymers, styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymers, and acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylic ester copolymers, and blends of the copolymers mentioned with polycarbonate or polyamide.

6. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the chemically reactive functionality of the thermoplastic molding compound A is based on components selected from the group consisting of maleic anhydride function, N-phenylmaleimide function, and glycidyl (meth)acrylate function.

7. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic molding compound A is produced using at least 0.1% by weight of monomers, based on component A, having a chemically reactive functionality.

8. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the surface of the reinforcing fibers B comprises one or more of the functions from the group of hydroxyl, ester, and amino groups.

9. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein component A is produced from 65% to 80% by weight of (a-methyl)styrene, 19.9% to 32% by weight of acrylonitrile, and 0.1% to 3% by weight of maleic anhydride, and wherein the sheetlike structure F is a scrim, a weave, a mat, a nonwoven, or a knit.

10. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing fibers B consist of glass fibers comprising silanol groups on the surface as chemically reactive functionality.

11. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fiber composite material has a ribbed structure or a sandwich structure and a layered construction.

12. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temperature for production of the fiber composite material is at least 200° C.

13. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein component A is produced from
65% to 80% by weight of (α-methyl)styrene,
19.9% to 32% by weight of acrylonitrile, and
0.1% to 3% by weight of maleic anhydride,
wherein the sheetlike structure F is a scrim, a weave, a mat, a nonwoven, or a knit, and
wherein the residence time for production of the fiber composite material at temperatures of at least 200° C. is not more than 10 minutes.

14. The fiber composite material produced according to claim 1 .

15. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temperature for production of the fiber composite material is at least 250° C.

16. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temperature for production of the fiber composite material is at least 300° C.

17. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the residence time for production of the fiber composite material at temperatures of at least 200° C. is not more than 5 minutes.

18. The process for producing a thermoplastic fiber composite material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the residence time for production of the fiber composite material at temperatures of at least 200° C. is not more than 2 minutes.

19. A molded body, a film, or a coating comprising the fiber composite material produced according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Ineos Styrolution Group Gmbh

Inventors

• Niessner Norbert
• Jahnke Eike

Classifications

• B32B2260/023

  Two or more layers · CPC title

• C08J2325/10

  with conjugated dienes · CPC title

• C08J2325/08

  Copolymers of styrene (C08J2329/08, C08J2335/06, C08J2355/02 take precedence) · CPC title

• C08J2325/12

  with unsaturated nitriles · CPC title

• B32B2262/101

  Glass fibres · CPC title