System for producing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10773474-B2
Application number	US-201816032291-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2018
Priority date	Nov 22, 2013
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) prepreg includes a mechanism for continuously moving a fabric or mat and a resin application component that applies a methyl methacrylate (MMA) resin to the fabric or mat. The system also includes a press mechanism that presses the fabric or mat during the continuous movement subsequent to the application of the MMA resin to ensure that the MMA resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the fabric or mat is continuously moved. The curing oven is maintained at a temperature of between 40° C. and 100° C. to polymerize the MMA resin and thereby form PMMA so that upon exiting the curing oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with PMMA.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for manufacturing a fully impregnated polymethyl methacrylate prepreg in a continuous process, the system comprising:
a mechanism for moving a fabric or mat from a starting point to an ending point, the fabric or mat being subjected to a plurality of processes between the starting point and the ending point and the fabric or mat being in substantially constant movement between the starting point and ending point;
a resin application mechanism that is configured to apply a methyl methacrylate (MMA) resin to the fabric or mat as the fabric or mat is moved past the resin application mechanism, the MMA resin being in contact with an initiator upon application of the MMA resin to the fabric or mat, the initiator facilitating in polymerizing the MMA resin to form polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA);
a press mechanism that is configured to press the MMA resin through the fabric or mat as the fabric or mat is moved past or through the press mechanism such that the MMA resin fully saturates the fabric or mat during polymerization of the MMA resin; and
a curing oven having a temperature of between 40 degrees Celsius and 100 degrees Celsius, the curing oven being configured to effect polymerization of the MMA resin to form PMMA as the fabric or mat is moved through the curing oven such that the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with PMMA upon exiting the curing oven;
wherein the system is configured to maintain the MMA resin at a temperature of between 40° C. and 80° C. prior to the application of the MMA resin to the fabric or mat; and
wherein the resin application mechanism is positioned above a lower belt of the press mechanism so that the MMA is applied to the fabric or mat as the fabric or mat is passed under the resin application mechanism and atop the lower belt.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a mixing mechanism that is configured to mix the MMA resin with the initiator prior to application of the MMA resin to the fabric or mat.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the system further comprises a first holding tank and a second holding tank that is separate from the first holding tank, wherein the first holding tank comprises the MMA resin and the second holding tank comprises the initiator.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the initiator is an organic peroxide.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a single holding tank that comprises a mixture of the MMA resin and the initiator.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the resin application mechanism comprises a die that applies the MMA resin to the fabric or mat.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the system further comprises a hood or enclosure that covers and encloses at least a portion of the fabric or mat, wherein the die is positioned within the hood or enclosure such that the MMA resin is applied to the fabric or mat within the hood or enclosure and MMA resin vapors are contained within the hood or enclosure.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the system further comprises an exhaust mechanism that is configured to remove or ventilate the MMA resin vapors and/or other gases within the hood or enclosure.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a winding mechanism that is configured to wind the fully impregnated fabric or mat into a roll product after the fully impregnated fabric or mat exits the curing oven.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the press mechanism is a double belt compression press that sandwiches the fabric or mat between the lower belt and an upper belt.

11. A system for manufacturing a polymethyl methacrylate prepreg, wherein the system comprises:
a mechanism for continuously moving a fabric or mat;
a resin application component that applies a methyl methacrylate (MMA) resin to the fabric or mat as the fabric or mat is continuously moved past the resin application component;
a press mechanism that presses the fabric or mat during the continuous movement of the fabric or mat and subsequent to application of the MMA resin to ensure that the MMA resin fully saturates the fabric or mat; and
a curing oven through which the fabric or mat is continuously moved, the curing oven being maintained at a temperature of between 40° C. and 100° C. to polymerize the MMA resin and thereby form a thermoplastic polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer so that upon exiting the curing oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic PMMA polymer;
wherein the resin application is positioned above a lower belt of the press mechanism so that the MMA resin is applied to the fabric or mat as the fabric or mat is passed under the resin application component and atop the lower belt.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the system further comprises a mixing mechanism that mixes the MMA resin with an initiator prior to application of the MMA resin to the fabric or mat.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the system further comprises a first holding tank and a second holding tank that is separate from the first holding tank, the first holding tank being configured to deliver the MMA resin to the mixing mechanism and the second holding tank being configured to deliver the initiator to the mixing mechanism.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the system further comprises a hood or enclosure that covers and encloses at least a portion of the fabric or mat, the resin application component being positioned within the hood or enclosure such that the MMA resin is applied to the fabric or mat within the hood or enclosure.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the system further comprises an exhaust component that is fluidly coupled with the hood or component to remove vapors within the hood or enclosure.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the press mechanism is a double belt compression press that sandwiches the fabric or mat between the lower belt and an upper belt.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fabric or mat includes chopped fibers.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the fabric or mat includes chopped fibers.

Assignees

• Johns Manville

Inventors

• Zhang Mingfu
• Gleich Klaus Friedrich
• Yohannes Asheber
• Block Michael John
• Asrar Jawed
• Bristol Derek Cooper
• Sandoval Christopher P

Classifications

• C08J5/244 Primary

  using glass fibres · CPC title

• B32B5/28

  impregnated with or embedded in a plastic substance {(not used)} · CPC title

• B29C70/504

  using rollers or pressure bands (for corrugating B29C53/22) · CPC title

• B29B15/12

  of reinforcements of indefinite length · CPC title

• B05C5/0254

  Coating heads with slot-shaped outlet (B05C5/0283 takes precedence) · CPC title