System and method for molding amorphous polyether ether ketone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9744704-B2
Application number	US-201414506816-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2014
Priority date	Oct 6, 2014
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A method for molding amorphous polyether ether ketone including steps of preparing a molten mass including polyether ether ketone, cooling a mold assembly to a temperature of at most about 200° F., and injecting the molten mass into the cooled mold assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for molding a dielectric layer onto a head of a fastener body, said fastener body comprising said head and a shaft, said method comprising:
inserting said fastener body into a mold assembly such that said head of said fastener body at least partially defines a cavity of said mold assembly;
preparing a molten mass comprising polyether ether ketone;
cooling said mold assembly to a temperature of at most about 200° F.; and
injecting said molten mass into said cooled mold assembly such that said molten mass contacts said head of said fastener body and forms said dielectric layer, wherein said dielectric layer has a crystallinity of at most about 15 percent.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said molten mass is at a temperature ranging from about 670° F. to about 720° F.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said molten mass consists essentially of said polyether ether ketone.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said mold assembly defines a cavity, and wherein said injecting step comprises injecting said molten mass into said cavity.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said cooling step comprises passing a cooling fluid through said mold assembly.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said cooling fluid comprises at least one of water, glycol and air.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said mold assembly is cooled to a temperature of at most about 150° F.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said mold assembly is cooled to a temperature ranging from about 50° F. to about 120° F.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said mold assembly is cooled to a temperature ranging from about 80° F. to about 100° F.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said injecting step comprises rotating a screw within a barrel to establish a flow of said molten mass.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said mold assembly comprises a first mold plate and a second mold plate, said second mold plate defining a seat, and wherein said inserting said fastener body into said mold assembly comprises seating said head of said fastener body in said seat.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said injecting said molten mass is performed at an injection rate having a magnitude sufficient to ensure said cavity is fully filled prior to solidification of said molten mass.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Drexler Julie M
• Sterling David E
• Mcdevitt Robert F
• Rogers Randall A

Classifications

• C08G4/00

  Condensation polymers of aldehydes or ketones with polyalcohols; Addition polymers of heterocyclic oxygen compounds containing in the ring at least once the grouping —O—C—O— (of cyclic oligomers of aldehydes C08G2/00) · CPC title

• B29C45/0001

  characterised by the choice of material · CPC title

• B29K2071/00

  Use of polyethers {, e.g. PEEK, i.e. polyether-etherketone or PEK, i.e. polyetherketone or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• B29K2995/0006

  Dielectric · CPC title

• B29C45/14311

  using means for bonding the coating to the articles (B29C45/14795 takes precedence) · CPC title