System for producing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017066158-A1
Application number	US-201514845007-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 3, 2015
Priority date	Nov 22, 2013
Publication date	Mar 9, 2017
Grant date	—

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 a thermoplastic PMMA polymer 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.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising 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 , further comprising 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 MMA resin comprises a mixture of the MMA and PMMA.

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

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

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

8 . The system of claim 7 , further comprising 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.

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

10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising 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.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the press mechanism is a double belt compression press that sandwiches the coated fabric or mat between two belts.

12 . A system for manufacturing a polymethyl methacrylate prepreg comprising:
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.

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

14 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising a first holding tank and a second holding tank that is separate from the first holding tank, the first holding tank comprising the MMA resin and the second holding tank comprising the initiator.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the MMA resin comprises a mixture of an MMA monomer and a PMMA polymer.

16 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising 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.

17 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising an exhaust component that is fluidly coupled with the hood or component to remove vapors within the hood or enclosure.

18 . A method of forming a fully impregnated polymethyl methacrylate prepreg comprising:
moving a fabric or mat from a starting point to an ending point, wherein the fabric or mat is subjected to a plurality of processes and wherein the fabric or mat is in substantially constant movement between the starting point and ending point; mixing a methyl methacrylate (MMA) resin with an initiator to form an MMA resin mixture, the initiator facilitating in polymerizing the MMA resin to form polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA); applying the MMA resin mixture to the fabric or mat, the reactive resin mixture having a viscosity of 10 poises or less; passing the MMA resin mixture coated fabric or mat through a calendar or press to press the MMA resin mixture entirely through the fabric or mat such that the MMA resin mixture fully saturates the fabric or mat; and passing the MMA resin mixture coated fabric or mat through a curing oven having a temperature that is maintained at between 40° C. and 100° C. to polymerize the MMA resin and thereby form PMMA; wherein upon exiting the curing oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with PMMA.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein mixing the MMA resin with the initiator occurs in a mixing component prior to application of the MMA resin to the fabric or mat.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the MMA resin comprises a mixture of an MMA monomer and a PMMA polymer.

21 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the MMA resin mixture is applied to the fabric or mat via a die that is positioned within a hood or enclosure that covers and encloses at least a portion of the fabric or mat.

22 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising exhausting vapors within the hood or enclosure via an exhaust component.

23 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the curing oven comprises a double belt compression oven.

24 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising winding the fully impregnated PMMA thermoplastic prepreg into a roll product.

25 . The method of claim 18 , wherein greater than 95% of the MMA resin is polymerized to form PMMA.

26 . A fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg formed by the method of

Assignees

• Johns Manville

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B29K2105/0872

  Prepregs · CPC title

• B05C11/021

  Apparatus for spreading or distributing liquids or other fluent materials already applied to the surface of an elongated body, e.g. a wire, a tube · CPC title

• B29B13/02

  by heating (B29B13/06, B29B13/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29B13/06

  by drying (B29B13/08 takes precedence {; drying moulded articles or half products B29C37/0092}) · CPC title

• C08J3/242

  Applying crosslinking or accelerating agent onto compounding ingredients such as fillers, reinforcements · CPC title