Molded article manufacturing method, resin impregnating apparatus, and 3D printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12576559-B2
Application number	US-202118039916-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2021
Priority date	Dec 4, 2020
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

Provided are a method for manufacturing a molded article consisting of a fiber-reinforced composite material containing a cured product of a thermosetting resin or a thermosetting resin composition and continuous reinforcing fibers, the method including, in this order, Steps (I) to (III) described below, a resin impregnating apparatus suitably used for the manufacturing method, and a 3D printer. Step (I): A coating step of coating a surface of a continuous reinforcing fiber bundle with a thermosetting resin or a thermosetting resin composition. Step (II): A resin impregnating step of twisting the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle after step (I) and obtaining a prepreg impregnated with the thermosetting resin or the thermosetting resin composition. Step (III): A heating and molding step of disposing the prepreg obtained in step (II) above and then heating the prepreg.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for manufacturing a molded article, the molded article consisting of a fiber-reinforced composite material comprising: a cured product of a thermosetting resin composition; and a continuous reinforcing fiber, the method comprising, in this order, the following Steps (I) to (III):
Step (I): a coating step of coating a surface of a continuous reinforcing fiber bundle with the thermosetting resin composition, wherein the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle is fed from a feeding roll; Step (II): a resin impregnating step of twisting the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle after the Step (I) and obtaining a prepreg impregnated with the thermosetting resin composition, wherein the twisting direction is a circumferential direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle; and Step (III): a heating and molding step of disposing the prepreg obtained in the Step (II) and subsequently heating the disposed prepreg to cure the thermosetting resin composition, wherein the thermosetting resin composition comprises a two-part thermosetting resin composition comprising a main agent (A) and a curing agent (B); wherein the main agent (A) comprises an epoxy resin (A1), and the curing agent (B) comprises an epoxy resin curing agent (B1) comprising a reaction product (X) of a component (x1) and a component (x2): (x1) at least one selected from the group consisting of meta-xylylenediamine and para-xylylenediamine, and (x2) at least one selected from the group consisting of unsaturated carboxylic acids represented by General Formula (1) below and derivatives thereof:

where in Formula (1), R 1 and R 2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having from 1 to 8 carbons, an aryl group having from 6 to 12 carbons, or an aralkyl group having from 7 to 13 carbons; or
wherein the main agent (A) comprises an epoxy resin (A1), and the curing agent (B) comprises an epoxy resin curing agent not containing the reaction product (X),
wherein the epoxy resin curing agent is a polyamine compound comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of 1,2 bis(aminomethyl) cyclohexane, 1,3 bis(aminomethyl) cyclohexane, 1,4 bis(aminomethyl) cyclohexane, isophoronediamine, ortho-xylylenediamine, meta-xylylenediamine, and para-xylylenediamine;
wherein the Step (I) comprises a step of coating the surface of the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle with the main agent (A) or a composition thereof by ejecting from a nozzle; and a step of coating the surface of the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle with the curing agent (B) or a composition thereof by ejecting from another nozzle; or
wherein the Step (I) comprises a step of coating the surface of the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle with the thermosetting resin composition by ejecting from a nozzle after subjecting the main agent (A) or a composition thereof and the curing agent (B) or a composition thereof to collisional mixing.

2 . The method for manufacturing a molded article according to claim 1 , wherein the Step (II) comprises a step of untwisting after twisting the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle.

3 . The method for manufacturing a molded article according to claim 1 , wherein the Step (I) and Step (II) are performed using a resin impregnating apparatus comprising: a mechanism configured to feed the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle; and a mechanism configured to twist the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle.

4 . The method for manufacturing a molded article according to claim 1 , wherein the molding method in the Step (III) is a 3D printing method.

5 . The method for manufacturing a molded article according to claim 1 , wherein a pot life after mixing the main agent (A) and the curing agent (B) is 10 minutes or less.

6 . The method for manufacturing a molded article according to claim 1 , wherein a content of a solvent in the composition of the curing agent (B) is 40 mass % or less.

7 . The method for manufacturing a molded article according to claim 1 , wherein the composition of the main agent (A) is solvent-free.

8 . The method for manufacturing a molded article according to claim 1 , wherein the epoxy resin (A1) comprises, as a main component, an epoxy resin having a glycidylamino group derived from meta-xylylenediamine.

9 . The method for manufacturing a molded article according to claim 1 , wherein the molded article is a pressure vessel.

10 . The method for manufacturing a molded article according to claim 9 , wherein the pressure vessel is linerless.

11 . A resin impregnating apparatus comprising:
a mechanism configured to feed a continuous reinforcing fiber bundle; a nozzle configured to eject a thermosetting resin or a thermosetting resin composition to a surface of the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle; and a mechanism configured to twist the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle, wherein the mechanism configured to feed the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle comprises a feeding roll, the nozzle is to eject the thermosetting resin composition to coat the surface of the fed continuous reinforcing fiber bundle, the mechanism configured to twist the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle is provided at a downstream side of the nozzles, and the mechanism configured to twist the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle is the mechanism which twists the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle in a circumferential direction substantially perpendicular to the traveling direction, and wherein the mechanism configured to twist the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle has two take-up rolls, the mechanism comprises a mechanism that the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle sandwiched between the two take-up rolls is fed in the longitudinal direction of the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle by the rotation of the take-up rolls, the rotation axes of the two take-up rolls are inclined in directions opposite to each other, the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle is rotated in the circumferential direction, and is taken up in the axial direction while the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle is twisted.

12 . The resin impregnating apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a drying mechanism selected from the group consisting of a hot air dryer, a heating roll, and a hot plate, provided at a downstream side of the mechanism configured to twist the continuous reinforcing bundle.

13 . A 3D printer comprising the resin impregnating apparatus described in claim 11 .

14 . The resin impregnating apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising nip rolls to remove the excessive thermosetting resin composition applied to the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle, at a downstream side of the mechanism configured to twist the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co

Inventors

• Matsumoto Nobuhiko
• Ikeuchi Kousuke
• Hashimoto Ryoma

Classifications

• B29L2031/7156

  Pressure vessels · CPC title

• B29K2307/04

  Carbon · CPC title

• B29K2063/00

  Use of {EP, i.e.} epoxy resins {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• B33Y70/10

  Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title