Fiber reinforced composites made with coupling-activator treated fibers and activator containing reactive resin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9387626-B2
Application number	US-201313788857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2013
Priority date	Mar 7, 2013
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

This invention relates to a process of making a fiber-reinforced composite. Glass fibers may be provided. These glass fibers may be treated with a sizing composition that has a coupling-activator compound with the formula: S—X-(A) n , where S represents a silicon-containing coupling moiety capable of bonding to the surface of glass fibers, X represents a linking moiety, and (A) n represents one or more polymerization activator moieties. The treated glass fibers may be combined with a resin to make a fiber-resin mixture. The resin may have a monomer, a catalyst, and an activator compound capable of initiating a polymerization of the monomer. The monomer may be a lactam or lactone having 3-12 carbon atoms in the main ring. The fiber-resin mixture may then be cured so that the monomer polymerizes to form a thermoplastic polymer matrix of the fiber-reinforced composite. The thermoplastic polymer matrix may be formed by in situ polymerization initiated from both the surface of the glass fibers and the resin. The fiber-reinforced composite formed may be at least 70 wt. % glass fiber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method to make a fiber-reinforced composite, the method comprising:
providing treated glass fibers treated with a sizing composition that has a coupling-activator compound with the formula:
S—X-(A) n

 wherein n is an integer having a value between 1 and 5;
S comprises a silicon-containing coupling moiety through which the coupling-activator compound bonds to a surface of the glass fibers;
X comprises a linking moiety to link the S moiety with one or more A moieties; and
(A) n comprises one or more polymerization activator moieties, wherein each of the activator moieties is capable of initiating a polymerization of the monomer, and wherein each of the activator moieties is the same or different;
combining the treated glass fibers with a resin to make a fiber-resin mixture, wherein the resin comprises a monomer, a catalyst, and an activator compound capable of initiating a polymerization of the monomer, and wherein the monomer is a lactam or lactone having 3-12 carbon atoms in the main ring, and further wherein moles of the activator compound in the resin are 10% to 50% of moles of the polymerization activator moieties on the treated glass fibers; and
exposing the fiber-resin mixture to curing conditions where the monomer polymerizes to form a polymer matrix of the fiber-reinforced composite;
wherein the fiber-reinforced composite is at least 70 wt. % glass fiber.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fiber-reinforced composite is 70 wt. % to 90 wt. % glass fiber.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glass fibers comprise continuous glass fibers.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the activator moieties (A) n comprises a C 1 to C 9 , substituted or unsubstituted, organo-cyclic ring.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the organo-cyclic ring of the activator moiety comprises at least one heteroatom selected from the group consisting of nitrogen and oxygen.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the organo-cyclic ring of the activator moiety has the formula:

wherein

 represents a C 3 , to C 12 , substituted or unsubstituted cyclic hydrocarbon chain.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the organo-cyclic ring of the activator moiety has the formula:

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the n in (A) n has an integer value of 2 to 5.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the linking moiety X comprises an atom that connects X to one or more activator moieties (A) n wherein the atom is not a nitrogen atom.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treated glass fibers are arranged into woven fabrics, multi-axial fabric, continuous strand mats, chopped strand mats, or combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is used in a process of producing composite articles selected from the group consisting of resin transfer molding (RTM), reaction injection molding (RIM), pultrusion, filament winding, casting, and prepreg processes.

12. A method to make a fiber-reinforced composite, the method comprising:
treating glass fibers with a sizing composition that has a coupling-activator compound with the formula:
S—X-(A) n

 wherein n is an integer having a value between 1 and 5;
S comprises a silicon-containing coupling moiety through which the coupling-activator compound bonds to a surface of the glass fibers;
X comprises a linking moiety to link the S moiety with one or more A moieties; and
(A) n comprises one or more polymerization activator moieties, wherein each of the activator moieties is capable of initiating a polymerization of the monomer, and wherein each of the activator moieties is the same or different;
combining the glass fibers with a resin to make a fiber-resin mixture, wherein the resin comprises a catalyst, a monomer, and an activator compound capable of initiating a polymerization of the monomer, wherein the monomer is a lactam or lactone having 3-12 carbon atoms in the main ring, and wherein moles of the activator compound in the resin are 10% to 50% of moles of the polymerization activator moieties on the treated glass fibers; and
exposing the fiber-resin mixture to curing conditions where the monomer polymerizes to form a polymer matrix of the fiber-reinforced composite;
wherein the fiber-reinforced composite is at least 60 wt. % glass fiber.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the fiber-reinforced composite is 60 wt. % to 90 wt. % glass fiber.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the glass fibers comprise continuous glass fibers.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one of the activator moieties (A) n comprises a C 1 to C 9 , substituted or unsubstituted, organo-cyclic ring.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the organo-cyclic ring of the activator moiety comprises at least one heteroatom selected from the group consisting of nitrogen and oxygen.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the organo-cyclic ring of the activator moiety has the formula:

wherein

 represents a C 3 , to C 12 , substituted or unsubstituted cyclic hydrocarbon chain.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the organo-cyclic ring of the activator moiety has the formula:

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the n in (A) n has an integer value of 2 to 5.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the linking moiety X comprises an atom that connects X to one or more activator moieties (A) n , wherein the atom is not a nitrogen atom.

21. The method of claim 12 , wherein the treated glass fibers are arranged into woven fabrics, multi-axial fabric, continuous strand mats, chopped strand mats, or combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 12 , wherein the method is used in a process of producing composite articles selected from the group consisting of resin transfer molding (RTM), reaction injection molding (RIM), pultrusion, filament winding, casting, and prepreg processes.

Assignees

• Johns Manville

Inventors

• Zhang Mingfu
• Gleich Klaus Friedrich
• Yohannes Asheber
• Block Michael John
• Asrar Jawed

Classifications

• B29K2077/00

  Use of {PA, i.e.} polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• B29C53/56

  Winding and joining, e.g. winding spirally {(winding in general B65H)} · CPC title

• C08J2377/02

  Polyamides derived from omega-amino carboxylic acids or from lactams thereof (C08J2377/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T442/30

  Woven fabric [i.e., woven strand or strip material] · CPC title

• C08L77/02

  Polyamides derived from omega-amino carboxylic acids or from lactams thereof (C08L77/10 takes precedence) · CPC title