Fibers treated with polymerization compounds and fiber reinforced composites made therefrom

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11739196-B2
Application number	US-202016837588-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2020
Priority date	Jan 8, 2008
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

Methods of making fiber reinforced composite articles are described. The methods may include treating fibers with a sizing composition that includes a polymerization compound, and introducing the treated fibers to a pre-polymerized composition. The combination of the treated fibers and pre-polymerized composition may then undergo a temperature adjustment to a polymerization temperature at which the pre-polymerized composition polymerizes into a plastic around the fibers to form the fiber-reinforced composite article. Techniques for introducing the treated fibers to the pre-polymerized composition may include pultrusion, filament winding, reactive injection molding (RIM), structural reactive injection molding (SRIM), resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM), long fiber injection (LFI), sheet molding compound (SMC) molding, bulk molding compound (BMC) molding, a spray-up application, and/or a hand lay-up application, among other techniques.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermoplastic prepreg for forming a composite article, the prepreg comprising:
a plurality of fibers having a coupling-initiator compound coupled to a surface of the fibers;
a thermoplastic polymer formed from a pre-polymerized composition comprising at least one of (i) monomers of the thermoplastic polymer and (ii) oligomers of the thermoplastic polymer, in contact with the plurality of fibers; and
a polymerization compound that lacks a coupling moiety to covalently bond the polymerization compound to the surface of the fibers;
wherein the oligomers of the thermoplastic polymer comprise macrocyclic polyester oligomers.

2. The thermoplastic prepreg of claim 1 , wherein the coupling-initiator compound has the formula:
S—X—(I) n ,

wherein n is an integer with a value of 1 to 5,
S comprises a coupling moiety with one or more silicon-containing groups,
X comprises a linking moiety that links the R moiety with one or more I moieties, and
(I) n comprises one or more polymerization initiator moieties, wherein each of the initiator moieties is capable of initiating a polymerization of a pre-polymerized composition to form the thermoplastic polymer, and wherein each of the initiator moieties is the same or different.

3. The thermoplastic prepreg of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer is formed from a pre-polymerized composition comprising at least one of (i) monomers of the thermoplastic polymer and (ii) oligomers of the thermoplastic polymer.

4. The thermoplastic prepreg of claim 3 , wherein the monomers of the thermoplastic polymer comprise lactam monomers.

5. The thermoplastic prepreg of claim 1 , wherein the polymerization compound has the formula:
R—X—(I) n ,

wherein n is an integer with a value of 1 to 5,
R comprises a terminal moiety selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group,
X comprises a linking moiety that links the R moiety with one or more I moieties, and
(I) n comprises one or more polymerization initiator moieties, wherein each of the initiator moieties is capable of initiating a polymerization of a pre-polymerized composition to form the thermoplastic polymer, and wherein each of the initiator moieties is the same or different.

6. The thermoplastic prepreg of claim 1 , wherein the polymerization compound is a polymerization catalyst for a pre-polymerized composition that forms the thermoplastic polymer.

7. The thermoplastic prepreg of claim 1 , wherein the polymerization compound is coated on a surface of the plurality of fibers.

8. The thermoplastic prepreg of claim 1 , wherein the polymerization compound is present in the thermoplastic polymer.

9. A fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite comprising:
a plurality of fibers, and a thermoplastic polymer in contact with the plurality of fibers,
wherein the plurality of fibers comprise a coupling-initiator compound coupled to a surface of the fibers, wherein the coupling-initiator compound initiates a polymerization of a pre-polymerization composition to make the thermoplastic polymer, and
wherein the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite further comprises a polymerization compound to initiate or catalyze the polymerization of the pre-polymerization composition of at least one of monomers and oligomers capable of forming the thermoplastic polymer to make the thermoplastic polymer, and wherein the polymerization compound lacks a coupling moiety to covalently bond the polymerization compound to the surface of the fibers, and wherein the oligomers comprise macrocyclic polyester oligomers.

10. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite of claim 9 , wherein the coupling-initiator compound has the formula:
S—X—(I) n ,

wherein n is an integer with a value of 1 to 5,
S comprises a coupling moiety with one or more silicon-containing groups,
X comprises a linking moiety that links the R moiety with one or more I moieties, and
(I) n comprises one or more polymerization initiator moieties, wherein each of the initiator moieties is capable of initiating a polymerization of the pre-polymerized composition, and wherein each of the initiator moieties is the same or different.

11. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite of claim 9 , wherein the pre-polymerization composition comprises at least one of monomers and oligomers capable of forming the thermoplastic polymer.

12. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite of claim 11 , wherein the monomers comprise lactam monomers.

13. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite of claim 9 , wherein the polymerization compound has the formula:
R—X—(I) n ,

wherein n is an integer with a value of 1 to 5,
R comprises a terminal moiety selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group,
X comprises a linking moiety that links the R moiety with one or more I moieties, and
(I) n comprises one or more polymerization initiator moieties, wherein each of the initiator moieties is capable of initiating a polymerization of the pre-polymerized composition, and wherein each of the initiator moieties is the same or different.

14. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite of claim 9 , wherein the polymerization compound is a polymerization catalyst for the pre-polymerized composition.

15. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite of claim 9 , wherein the polymerization compound is coated on a surface of the plurality of fibers.

16. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite of claim 9 , wherein the polymerization compound is present in the thermoplastic polymer.

17. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite of claim 9 , wherein the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite is incorporated into a composite article.

18. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite of claim 9 , wherein the composite article is selected from the group consisting of a vehicle equipment part and an industrial equipment part.

19. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite of claim 18 , wherein the vehicle equipment part is selected from the group consisting of a car part, a truck part, an aircraft part, a train part, a boat part, and a bicycle part.

20. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite of claim 18 , wherein the industrial equipment part is selected from the group consisting of an electric power generation part, and a wind turbine blade.

21. A thermoplastic prepreg for forming a composite article, the prepreg comprising:
a plurality of fibers having a coupling-initiator compound coupled to a surface of the fibers;
a thermoplastic polymer in contact with the plurality of fibers and formed from a pre-polymerized composition comprising macrocyclic polyester oligomers; and
a polymerization compound that lacks a coupling moiety to covalently bond the polymerization compound to the surface of the fibers.

Assignees

• Johns Manville

Inventors

• Tadepalli Rajappa
• Asrar Jawed
• Gleich Klaus Friedrich
• Alavi Kiarash

Classifications

• C08K7/14 Primary

  Glass · CPC title

• C03C13/00

  Fibre or filament compositions (manufacture of fibres or filaments C03B37/00) · CPC title

• C07F7/1804

  Compounds having Si-O-C linkages (Si-O-acyl linkages C07F7/1896) · CPC title

• C08J5/06

  using pretreated fibrous materials · CPC title

• C08J5/08

  glass fibres · CPC title