Composites with thermoplastic epoxy polymeric phase, articles such as carriers made therewith and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10570258-B2
Application number	US-201615556419-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	Mar 10, 2015
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

A structural reinforcement for an article including a carrier (10) that includes: (t) a mass of polymeric material (12) having an outer surface; and (ii) at least one fibrous composite Insert (14) or overlay (980) having an outer surface and including at least one elongated fiber arrangement (e.g., having a plurality of ordered fibers). The fibrous Insert (14) or overlay (980) is envisioned to adjoin the mass of the polymeric material in a predetermined location for carrying a predetermined load that Is subjected upon the predetermined location (thereby effectively providing localized reinforcement to that predetermined location). The fibrous insert (14) or overlay (980) and the mass of polymeric material (12) are of compatible materials, structures or both, for allowing the fibrous insert or overlay to be at feast partially joined to the mass of the polymeric material. Disposed upon at least a portion of the carrier (10) may be a mass of activatable material (126). The fibrous insert (14) or overlay (980) may include a polymeric matrix that includes a thermoplastic epoxy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a composite article,
the composite article comprising:
a. a distributed phase in the composite article that includes a plurality of segmented forms including fibers; and
b. a polymeric matrix in the composite article in which the distributed phase is distributed, the polymeric matrix including at least 25% by weight of the polymeric matrix of a thermoplastic polymer, the polymeric matrix further including a reaction product of a diepoxide and a mono primary amine or a di-secondary amine;
wherein the composite article forms at least a portion of a carrier adapted for use as a baffle, a structural reinforcement or both; and
wherein the material of at least a portion of the distributed phase is substantially the same as the material of the polymeric matrix; and
wherein the method includes at least one step selected from mechanically mixing the distributed phase with the reaction product material for use in the polymeric matrix, and injection molding, extruding, or pultruding the resulting mixture.

2. The composite article of claim 1 , wherein the distributed phase includes at least 33% by weight of the fibers.

3. The composite article of claim 2 , wherein the distributed phase includes fibers selected from (organic or inorganic) mineral fibers, polymeric fibers, carbon fibers, metal fibers, natural fibers, or any combination thereof.

4. The composite article of claim 2 , wherein the distributed phase includes a plurality of fibers having a length of at least 1 mm.

5. The composite article of claim 4 , wherein the distributed phase and the polymeric matrix are present in a relative weight ratio (distributed phase: polymeric matrix) of about 1:15 to about 3:1.

6. The composite article of claim 1 , wherein the fibers of the distributed phase are present in an amount, a distribution, or both for reinforcing the composite article by the realization of an increase of one or more mechanical properties selected from ultimate tensile strength, elongation, flexural modulus, or compression modulus, compared with the corresponding property of the polymer matrix material alone.

7. The composite article of claim 6 , wherein the distributed phase is distributed substantially homogenously in the polymeric matrix.

8. The composite article of claim 1 , wherein the distributed phase is in the form of a random distribution, a weave, a non-woven mat, a plurality of generally axially aligned fibers, a plurality of axially intertwined fibers or any combination thereof.

9. The composite article of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric matrix includes a hydroxy-phenoxyether polymer reaction product of a mono-functional or di-functional species with an epoxide-containing moiety, comprising a diepoxide, reacted under conditions for causing the hydroxyl moieties to react with the epoxy moieties to form a generally linear backbone polymer chain with ether linkages.

10. A method of making a composite article,
the composite article comprising:
a. a distributed phase in the composite article that includes a plurality of segmented forms including fibers; and
b. a polymeric matrix in the composite article in which the distributed phase is distributed, the polymeric matrix including at least 25% by weight of the polymeric matrix of a thermoplastic polymer, the polymeric matrix further including a reaction product of a diepoxide and a mono primary amine or a di-secondary amine;
wherein the composite article forms at least a portion of a carrier adapted for use as a baffle, a structural reinforcement or both; and
wherein the material of at least a portion of the distributed phase is substantially the same as the material of the polymeric matrix; and
wherein the method includes a step of advancing a thermoplastic polymer having at least one epoxide functional group reaction product along a rotating feed screw within a barrel of a polymeric material shaping apparatus.

11. A device comprising:
a carrier that includes:
i. a mass of polymeric material having an outer surface and including a first polymeric material;
ii. at least one fibrous composite material insert or overlay having an outer surface and including at least one elongated fiber arrangement having a plurality of ordered fibers distributed in a predetermined manner in a second polymeric material, the fibrous insert adjoining the mass of the polymeric material in a predetermined location for carrying a predetermined load that is subjected upon the predetermined location; wherein the fibrous insert or overlay and the mass of polymeric material include compatible materials, structures or both, for allowing the fibrous insert to be at least partially joined to the mass of polymeric material; and
iii. a mass of activatable material selectively applied over at least a portion of one or both of the outer surface of the mass of the polymeric material or the at least one fibrous insert, the mass of activatable material being capable of activation for expansion by an external stimulus and being capable of curing to form an adhesive bond to at least one surface of the article; wherein the outer surface of the fibrous insert is at least partially co-extensive and continuous with the outer surface of the mass of polymeric material,

wherein the second polymeric material is a hydroxy-phenoxyether polymer, such as a polyetheramine thermoplastic material, which is a product (e.g., a thermoplastic condensation reaction product) of a reaction of a mono-functional or di-functional species (e.g., monoethanolamine) with an epoxide-containing moiety, such as a diepoxide (e.g., diglicidyl ether bisphenol A) reacted under conditions for causing the hydroxyl moieties to react with the epoxy moieties to form a generally linear backbone polymer chain with ether linkages.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the mass of polymeric material includes a thermoplastic material.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one consolidated fibrous insert includes at least one layer in the form of a tape material that is made generally of the same type of material as the mass of polymeric material.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one elongated fiber arrangement of the at least one consolidated fibrous insert includes a material that is made generally of the same type of material as the mass of polymeric material.

15. The device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one elongated fiber arrangement of the at least one consolidated fibrous insert includes a material that is made generally of the same type of material as the mass of polymeric material so that the material of the fibrous insert and the mass of polymeric material are chemically fused together.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the at least one elongated fiber arrangement is a woven fiber arrangement.

17. The device of claim 11 , wherein the outer surface of the fibrous insert is generally co-extensive with the outer surface of the mass of polymeric material and/or is positioned on top of the outer surface of the mass of polymeric material.

Assignees

• Zephyros Inc

Inventors

• Richardson Henry E
• Gleyal Sylvain

Classifications

• B29C44/188

  Sealing off parts of the cavities · CPC title

• C08K7/02

  Fibres or whiskers · CPC title

• B29K2507/04

  Carbon · CPC title

• B29K2101/12

  Thermoplastic materials · CPC title

• B29K2105/12

  of short lengths, e.g. chopped filaments, staple fibres or bristles · CPC title