WO1997041167A1 - Improvements in and relating to composite articles - Google Patents
Improvements in and relating to composite articles Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1997041167A1 WO1997041167A1 PCT/GB1997/001077 GB9701077W WO9741167A1 WO 1997041167 A1 WO1997041167 A1 WO 1997041167A1 GB 9701077 W GB9701077 W GB 9701077W WO 9741167 A1 WO9741167 A1 WO 9741167A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- fibres
- process according
- forming
- fibre
- suspension
- Prior art date
Links
- 239000002131 composite material Substances 0.000 title claims description 10
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 23
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 14
- 239000000725 suspension Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 14
- 239000011230 binding agent Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 11
- 230000003014 reinforcing effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 239000007900 aqueous suspension Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 238000001035 drying Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 238000002156 mixing Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 229920003002 synthetic resin Polymers 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 239000000057 synthetic resin Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 238000007666 vacuum forming Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 239000011347 resin Substances 0.000 claims description 14
- 229920005989 resin Polymers 0.000 claims description 14
- 229920003235 aromatic polyamide Polymers 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- KXGFMDJXCMQABM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 2-methoxy-6-methylphenol Chemical compound [CH]OC1=CC=CC([CH])=C1O KXGFMDJXCMQABM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000005011 phenolic resin Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 229920001568 phenolic resin Polymers 0.000 claims description 7
- OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon Chemical compound [C] OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000004760 aramid Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000003365 glass fiber Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 229910052799 carbon Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000000945 filler Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000011342 resin composition Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 229920003043 Cellulose fiber Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000000465 moulding Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000004744 fabric Substances 0.000 description 11
- 239000010425 asbestos Substances 0.000 description 7
- 229910052895 riebeckite Inorganic materials 0.000 description 7
- 239000006185 dispersion Substances 0.000 description 4
- 238000005470 impregnation Methods 0.000 description 4
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 description 4
- 238000013031 physical testing Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000000047 product Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000004753 textile Substances 0.000 description 3
- PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Nickel Chemical compound [Ni] PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000007795 chemical reaction product Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000004615 ingredient Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000003475 lamination Methods 0.000 description 2
- QSHDDOUJBYECFT-UHFFFAOYSA-N mercury Chemical compound [Hg] QSHDDOUJBYECFT-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910052753 mercury Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000843 powder Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000002002 slurry Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000004580 weight loss Effects 0.000 description 2
- 102100025800 E3 SUMO-protein ligase ZBED1 Human genes 0.000 description 1
- 101000786317 Homo sapiens E3 SUMO-protein ligase ZBED1 Proteins 0.000 description 1
- 229920000297 Rayon Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 230000004913 activation Effects 0.000 description 1
- TZCXTZWJZNENPQ-UHFFFAOYSA-L barium sulfate Chemical compound [Ba+2].[O-]S([O-])(=O)=O TZCXTZWJZNENPQ-UHFFFAOYSA-L 0.000 description 1
- 229920002678 cellulose Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000001913 cellulose Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000748 compression moulding Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000032798 delamination Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000012467 final product Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000009472 formulation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000010439 graphite Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910002804 graphite Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000013029 homogenous suspension Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000314 lubricant Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011159 matrix material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052618 mica group Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000004005 microsphere Substances 0.000 description 1
- CWQXQMHSOZUFJS-UHFFFAOYSA-N molybdenum disulfide Chemical compound S=[Mo]=S CWQXQMHSOZUFJS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052759 nickel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000004745 nonwoven fabric Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000704 physical effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000009987 spinning Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003756 stirring Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000009827 uniform distribution Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011179 visual inspection Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002759 woven fabric Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29B—PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
- B29B11/00—Making preforms
- B29B11/14—Making preforms characterised by structure or composition
- B29B11/16—Making preforms characterised by structure or composition comprising fillers or reinforcement
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
- C08J—WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H
- C08J5/00—Manufacture of articles or shaped materials containing macromolecular substances
- C08J5/24—Impregnating materials with prepolymers which can be polymerised in situ, e.g. manufacture of prepregs
- C08J5/248—Impregnating materials with prepolymers which can be polymerised in situ, e.g. manufacture of prepregs using pre-treated fibres
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
- B29C70/04—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts comprising reinforcements only, e.g. self-reinforcing plastics
- B29C70/28—Shaping operations therefor
- B29C70/40—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied
- B29C70/42—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
- B29C70/46—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
- B29C70/465—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs and impregnating by melting a solid material, e.g. sheets, powders of fibres
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
- B29C70/04—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts comprising reinforcements only, e.g. self-reinforcing plastics
- B29C70/28—Shaping operations therefor
- B29C70/40—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied
- B29C70/42—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
- B29C70/46—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
- B29C70/467—Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs and impregnating the reinforcements during mould closing
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
- C08J—WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H
- C08J5/00—Manufacture of articles or shaped materials containing macromolecular substances
- C08J5/24—Impregnating materials with prepolymers which can be polymerised in situ, e.g. manufacture of prepregs
- C08J5/249—Impregnating materials with prepolymers which can be polymerised in situ, e.g. manufacture of prepregs characterised by the additives used in the prepolymer mixture
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
- D21H—PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D21H13/00—Pulp or paper, comprising synthetic cellulose or non-cellulose fibres or web-forming material
- D21H13/10—Organic non-cellulose fibres
- D21H13/20—Organic non-cellulose fibres from macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
- D21H13/26—Polyamides; Polyimides
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
- D21H—PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D21H13/00—Pulp or paper, comprising synthetic cellulose or non-cellulose fibres or web-forming material
- D21H13/36—Inorganic fibres or flakes
- D21H13/38—Inorganic fibres or flakes siliceous
- D21H13/40—Inorganic fibres or flakes siliceous vitreous, e.g. mineral wool, glass fibres
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
- D21H—PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D21H13/00—Pulp or paper, comprising synthetic cellulose or non-cellulose fibres or web-forming material
- D21H13/36—Inorganic fibres or flakes
- D21H13/46—Non-siliceous fibres, e.g. from metal oxides
- D21H13/50—Carbon fibres
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
- D21H—PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D21H17/00—Non-fibrous material added to the pulp, characterised by its constitution; Paper-impregnating material characterised by its constitution
- D21H17/20—Macromolecular organic compounds
- D21H17/33—Synthetic macromolecular compounds
- D21H17/46—Synthetic macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
- D21H17/47—Condensation polymers of aldehydes or ketones
- D21H17/48—Condensation polymers of aldehydes or ketones with phenols
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
- D21J—FIBREBOARD; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM CELLULOSIC FIBROUS SUSPENSIONS OR FROM PAPIER-MACHE
- D21J7/00—Manufacture of hollow articles from fibre suspensions or papier-mâché by deposition of fibres in or on a wire-net mould
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
- C08J—WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H
- C08J2361/00—Characterised by the use of condensation polymers of aldehydes or ketones; Derivatives of such polymers
- C08J2361/04—Condensation polymers of aldehydes or ketones with phenols only
- C08J2361/06—Condensation polymers of aldehydes or ketones with phenols only of aldehydes with phenols
Definitions
- This invention relates to fibre-reinforced synthetic resin composite articles and in particular to a method of manufacturing the same.
- a process for the manufacture of a fibre-reinforced synthetic resin article comprises the steps of forming an aqueous suspension of fibres by intimate blending of water-dispersible reinforcing fibres and web forming fibres in the absence of a binder material, and thereafter producing a shaped fibrous preform from said suspension by a vacuum forming operation, followed by drying the preform.
- the suspension may contain a finely powdered thermosettable resin material, for example, a phenolic resin, so that the dried preform is ready for compression moulding directly into a shaped article.
- a finely powdered thermosettable resin material for example, a phenolic resin
- the dried preform can be impregnated with a liquid resin composition immediately prior to moulding it under heat and pressure into a shaped article.
- Preferred reinforcing fibres include carbon fibres, staple aramid fibres and glass fibres. Other fibres may also be used, for example nickel coated carbon fibres to confer a degree of electrical conductivity.
- the web-forming fibre component may be cellulose, but for higher temperature applications, aramid fibre pulp is preferred.
- the thermosettable resin powder is incorporated during intimate blending of the fibre components to make the suspension, it should be selected so as to be inactive at the temperature subsequently used to dry the preform. It has been found that the web-forming fibre content of the suspension should not be less than 5%, referred to the total weight of fibres present.
- the web-forming fibres may comprise as much as 50% of the total fibre content and by varying the proportions of the fibre components it is possible to vary the properties of the end product.
- the web-forming content is relatively large, it may be necessary to incorporate the resin component into the suspension as a powder, in order to ensure that the resin in thoroughly and uniformly dispersed. This is because relatively high proportions of web-forming fibres tend to result in a dense structure which is not easily impregnated with liquid resin.
- the suspension may also contain particulate fillers selected to modify the thermal, mechanical, friction and/or electrical properties of the finished shaped article.
- suitable fillers include metal flakes, graphite, micas, barytes, glass microspheres and lubricants such as molybdenum disulphide, where necessary finely powdered to ensure dispersion.
- a laminate was made by superposing phenolic resin impregnated woven asbestos fibre fabric sheets.
- the resultant assembly was press-cured in conventional manner to produce a composite sheet, from which were cut both samples for physical testing purposes and a number of samples for use as rotor vanes in a vacuum pump.
- Example 2 represents the wear rate of the rotor blades made from a non- asbestos composite comprising layers of a woven textile fabric containing 7% by weight aramid fibres and the rest being glass fibre core strands overlaid with staple cellulose fibres (viscose) using the DREF spinning process. These fabric layers were laminated using phenolic resin to form a composite slab which was cut/machined into rotor blades.
- Example 1 represents the wear rate for rotor blades made from a traditional asbestos cloth/phenolic resin laminate.
- Example 3 represents the wear rate for rotor blades made according to the invention, as just described above.
- the performance of the material according to the present invention was extremely good, both as regards resistance to wear and to delamination in service.
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Medicinal Chemistry (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
- Composite Materials (AREA)
- Reinforced Plastic Materials (AREA)
- Paper (AREA)
Abstract
A process for the manufacture of fibre-reinforced synthetic resin article comprises the steps of forming an aqueous suspension of fibres by intimate blending of water-dispersible reinforcing fibres and web-forming in the absence of binder material and thereafter producing a shaped fibrous preform from said suspension by a vacuum-forming operation, followed by drying the preform.
Description
Improvements in and relating to composite articles
This invention relates to fibre-reinforced synthetic resin composite articles and in particular to a method of manufacturing the same.
For many years such articles have been manufactured by a variety of routes. One very common process is to take woven and/or non- woven fabric, impregnated with a thermosettable resin composition and then prepare an laminate structure from a number of pieces of impregnated fabric cut to an appropriate shape. This laminate structure is then pressed cured into a finished article, the press-curing action serving to unite the individual fabric pieces into a unitary structure. In another well-known process, shaped pieces of textile fabric are stacked in a mould cavity to which is then added a quantity of liquid resin. The fabric and the resin are then press-cured/moulded together into a finished laminated article. It has also been proposed to form a solution or dispersion of fibres in a liquid binder medium which is thereafter de-watered to form a preform which after drying, is placed into a mould cavity with a quantity of liquid resin and then press-cured into a finished article.
The first two processes just described are labour-intensive and result in significant quantities of waste which cannot be re¬ used. Also, where a laminate structure is built up from a series of layers, it is both difficult to achieve uniform impregnation with a relatively viscous liquid resin and to achieve an acceptable degree of homogeneity in the final product. The latter
will of course always retain a laminar structure and accordingly it will be vulnerable under some circumstances to de-lamination. In the case of vacuum preforming from a slurry containing a binder material, although much better homogeneity can be achieved, there remains the problem of securing uniform distribution of the resin matrix material, simply because of the presence of the binder material necessary to hold the fibres of the preform together both during and after drying. Additionally, waste material is not readily re-usable, also because of the binder content.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved process which at least minimises the above disadvantages.
According to the present invention, a process for the manufacture of a fibre-reinforced synthetic resin article comprises the steps of forming an aqueous suspension of fibres by intimate blending of water-dispersible reinforcing fibres and web forming fibres in the absence of a binder material, and thereafter producing a shaped fibrous preform from said suspension by a vacuum forming operation, followed by drying the preform.
Optionally, the suspension may contain a finely powdered thermosettable resin material, for example, a phenolic resin, so that the dried preform is ready for compression moulding directly into a shaped article. Alternatively, the dried preform can be impregnated with a liquid resin composition immediately prior to moulding it under heat and pressure into a shaped article.
Preferred reinforcing fibres include carbon fibres, staple aramid fibres and glass fibres. Other fibres may also be used, for example nickel coated carbon fibres to confer a degree of electrical conductivity. The web-forming fibre component may be cellulose, but for higher temperature applications, aramid fibre pulp is preferred. Where the thermosettable resin powder is incorporated during intimate blending of the fibre components to make the suspension, it should be selected so as to be inactive at the temperature subsequently used to dry the preform.
It has been found that the web-forming fibre content of the suspension should not be less than 5%, referred to the total weight of fibres present. However, the web-forming fibres may comprise as much as 50% of the total fibre content and by varying the proportions of the fibre components it is possible to vary the properties of the end product. Where the web-forming content is relatively large, it may be necessary to incorporate the resin component into the suspension as a powder, in order to ensure that the resin in thoroughly and uniformly dispersed. This is because relatively high proportions of web-forming fibres tend to result in a dense structure which is not easily impregnated with liquid resin.
Optionally, the suspension may also contain particulate fillers selected to modify the thermal, mechanical, friction and/or electrical properties of the finished shaped article. Suitable fillers include metal flakes, graphite, micas, barytes, glass microspheres and lubricants such as molybdenum disulphide, where necessary finely powdered to ensure dispersion.
Because there is no binder material in the suspension, impregnation with resin either by adding it during blending of the fibres or afterwards to the dried preform is more thorough, to the point that the final shaped article is essentially monolithic and exhibits superior uniformity of appearance and properties. Such uniformity is not possible using the traditional multi-layer lamination technique based on superposed layers of textile fabrics or non-woven fibrous mats, because of the difficult of achieving an acceptable degree of uniform impregnation. This difficulty is not significantly improved by pre-impregnating individual layers or by using "pre-preg" felts, because the end product is inevitably still a laminar structure and not monolithic, as is the product of the instant invention.
Surprisingly, it has been found that despite the complete omission of a binder material from the aqueous suspension, use of the intimate fibre blend just referred to results in a pre¬ form having both good handling strength and an extremely open
nature as regards subsequent impregnation with the liquid resin. Also, the lack of any binder in the preform means that any waste material can be re-cycled so that the overall level of waste with the improved process of this invention is minimal. It will be apparent the lack of binder in the aqueous dispersion also means that the dispersion can be kept for indefinite periods, although of course it will be necessary to agitate the suspension from time to time in order to prevent excessive settlement.
In order than the invention be better understood, samples were made according to the invention and according to two prior art formulations.
Example 1
A laminate was made by superposing phenolic resin impregnated woven asbestos fibre fabric sheets. The resultant assembly was press-cured in conventional manner to produce a composite sheet, from which were cut both samples for physical testing purposes and a number of samples for use as rotor vanes in a vacuum pump.
Example 2
The procedure just described was repeated, substituting for the woven asbestos fabric a non-asbestos fabric comprising blended yarns of glass and aramid fibres.
Example 3
An aqueous slurry was made comprising the following ingredients by weight:-
10% aramid fibre pulp
25% 3mm glass fibres
12% 6mm staple aramid fibre
3% graphite powder
50% powdered phenolic resin
These ingredients were intimately blended by stirring to produce a homogenous suspension. From this suspension, a number of rotor blade preforms were produced by vacuum forming onto a wire mesh faced mould, the mesh size being approximately 50 (^mm) . The vacuum applied was in the range 15-25 inches of mercury and the thickness of the product was of the order of 1 inch. On removing the mould from the suspension, the shaped preform was readily removable by hand and had surprisingly good integrity. It was dried in an oven at a temperature below the activation temperature of the phenolic resin component. Temperatures in the range 40-50°C are typically used for this.
The dried preforms where placed into mould cavities and press- cured into rotor blades. Some of the latter were used as samples for physical testing in direct comparison with the samples prepared under Examples 1 and 2.
On physical testing, the properties of the composites made according to Examples 1, 2 and 3 were as given below.
From the above, it is apparent that the physical properties of the composite articles manufactured according to the present invention were directly comparable with those of the prior art processes. However, on visual inspection it was immediately apparent that the samples made according to the present invention had a very much higher uniformity. This was confirmed by standard deviation checks on a number of samples. Product according to the invention exhibited much less variability in properties.
To further illustrate the invention, reference is directed to the
accompanying graph on which wear data (weight loss %) is plotted for equal time periods. In the graph, the block marked Example 2 represents the wear rate of the rotor blades made from a non- asbestos composite comprising layers of a woven textile fabric containing 7% by weight aramid fibres and the rest being glass fibre core strands overlaid with staple cellulose fibres (viscose) using the DREF spinning process. These fabric layers were laminated using phenolic resin to form a composite slab which was cut/machined into rotor blades.
The block marked Example 1 represents the wear rate for rotor blades made from a traditional asbestos cloth/phenolic resin laminate.
The block marked Example 3 represents the wear rate for rotor blades made according to the invention, as just described above.
All three sets of blades were tested in a vacuum pump running at 1100 rpm for 30 hours at a vacuum level of 21 inches of mercury.
It is clear from the graph that whilst the traditional material of Example 2 was the best, the non-asbestos material of Example 3 of this invention was directly comparable in performance. The non-asbestos material of Example 1 however suffered a much greater weight loss and was unacceptable.
The performance of the material according to the present invention was extremely good, both as regards resistance to wear and to delamination in service.
Claims
1. A process for the- manufacture of a fibre-reinforced synthetic resin article comprising the steps of forming an aqueous suspension of fibres by intimate blending of water- dispersible reinforcing fibres and web-forming fibres in the absence of binder material and thereafter producing a shaped fibrous preform from said suspension by a vacuum-forming operation, followed by drying the preform.
2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the web-forming fibres constitute from 5-50% of the total weight of fibres.
3. A process according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the suspension further comprises a finely powdered thermosettable resin material.
4. A process according to claim 3 wherein the finely powdered thermosettable resin material is a phenolic resin.
5. A process according to claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the aqueous suspension further comprises at least one particulate filler selected to modify the thermal, mechanical friction and/or electrical properties of the finished shaped article.
6. A process according to any of claims 2 to 5 wherein the dried preform is subjected to a press-curing treatment effective to convert it into a shaped composite article.
7. A process according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the dried preform is placed into a mould cavity together with a quantity of a liquid resin composition immediately prior to moulding it under heat and pressure into a shaped article.
8. A process according to any preceding claim wherein the reinforcing fibres comprise carbon fibres, aramid staple fibres and/or glass fibres.
9. A process according to claim 8 wherein the reinforcing fibres further comprise organic fibres.
10. A process according to claim 9 wherein said organic fibres comprise staple aramid fibres.
11. A process according to preceding claim wherein the web- forming fibre component of the suspension comprises cellulose fibre pulp.
12. A process according to any of claims 1 to 11 wherein the web-forming fibre component comprises aramid fibre pulp.
13. A fibre-reinforced composite article made by a process according to any preceding claim.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU25732/97A AU2573297A (en) | 1996-04-26 | 1997-04-18 | Improvements in and relating to composite articles |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB9608679A GB2312446A (en) | 1996-04-26 | 1996-04-26 | Manufacturing fibre-reinforced composite articles |
GB9608679.8 | 1996-04-26 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO1997041167A1 true WO1997041167A1 (en) | 1997-11-06 |
Family
ID=10792704
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/GB1997/001077 WO1997041167A1 (en) | 1996-04-26 | 1997-04-18 | Improvements in and relating to composite articles |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
AU (1) | AU2573297A (en) |
GB (1) | GB2312446A (en) |
WO (1) | WO1997041167A1 (en) |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2004089509A3 (en) * | 2003-04-04 | 2004-12-16 | Donaldson Co Inc | Filter media prepared in aqueous system including resin binder |
US9114339B2 (en) | 2007-02-23 | 2015-08-25 | Donaldson Company, Inc. | Formed filter element |
US9353481B2 (en) | 2009-01-28 | 2016-05-31 | Donldson Company, Inc. | Method and apparatus for forming a fibrous media |
US9795906B2 (en) | 2004-11-05 | 2017-10-24 | Donaldson Company, Inc. | Filter medium and breather filter structure |
USRE47737E1 (en) | 2004-11-05 | 2019-11-26 | Donaldson Company, Inc. | Filter medium and structure |
CN114425872A (en) * | 2020-10-29 | 2022-05-03 | 中国石油化工股份有限公司 | Method for manufacturing high-flame-retardant-grade composite part |
US12172111B2 (en) | 2004-11-05 | 2024-12-24 | Donaldson Company, Inc. | Filter medium and breather filter structure |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP5933433B2 (en) † | 2009-07-17 | 2016-06-08 | カーボン ファイバー プリフォームズ リミテッド | Fiber matrix and method for producing fiber matrix |
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DE4039450A1 (en) * | 1990-12-11 | 1992-06-17 | Bayer Ag | Mfg. composites having improved mechanical properties - by forming homogeneous mixt. of thermoplastic fibres and ultrafine reinforcing fibres in non-solvent liq., forming and hot-pressing |
JPH0578500A (en) * | 1991-09-20 | 1993-03-30 | Shin Kobe Electric Mach Co Ltd | Thrust washer manufacturing method |
WO1994023125A1 (en) * | 1993-04-05 | 1994-10-13 | Exxon Chemical Patents Inc. | Improved structural thermoplastic composites |
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DE3701511A1 (en) * | 1987-01-21 | 1988-08-04 | Didier Werke Ag | HEAT-INSULATING FIBER SHAPED BODY, METHOD FOR THEIR PRODUCTION AND THEIR USE |
US5300124A (en) * | 1993-03-31 | 1994-04-05 | International Fuel Cells Corporation | Method for forming a laminated electrolyte reservoir plate |
US5585432A (en) * | 1993-10-15 | 1996-12-17 | General Electric Company | Flow formable composites having polymodal fiber distributions |
-
1996
- 1996-04-26 GB GB9608679A patent/GB2312446A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
1997
- 1997-04-18 WO PCT/GB1997/001077 patent/WO1997041167A1/en active Application Filing
- 1997-04-18 AU AU25732/97A patent/AU2573297A/en not_active Abandoned
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DE4039450A1 (en) * | 1990-12-11 | 1992-06-17 | Bayer Ag | Mfg. composites having improved mechanical properties - by forming homogeneous mixt. of thermoplastic fibres and ultrafine reinforcing fibres in non-solvent liq., forming and hot-pressing |
JPH0578500A (en) * | 1991-09-20 | 1993-03-30 | Shin Kobe Electric Mach Co Ltd | Thrust washer manufacturing method |
WO1994023125A1 (en) * | 1993-04-05 | 1994-10-13 | Exxon Chemical Patents Inc. | Improved structural thermoplastic composites |
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Title |
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2244 RESEARCH DISCLOSURE April 1989, number 300, item 30017, page 246, Havant Hamphire, GB Disclosed anonymously "Process for the preparation of fibre- reinforced thermoplastic sheet" * |
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 017, no. 406 (C - 1090) 29 July 1993 (1993-07-29) * |
Cited By (13)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2004089509A3 (en) * | 2003-04-04 | 2004-12-16 | Donaldson Co Inc | Filter media prepared in aqueous system including resin binder |
USRE47737E1 (en) | 2004-11-05 | 2019-11-26 | Donaldson Company, Inc. | Filter medium and structure |
US9795906B2 (en) | 2004-11-05 | 2017-10-24 | Donaldson Company, Inc. | Filter medium and breather filter structure |
US10610813B2 (en) | 2004-11-05 | 2020-04-07 | Donaldson Company, Inc. | Filter medium and breather filter structure |
USRE49097E1 (en) | 2004-11-05 | 2022-06-07 | Donaldson Company, Inc. | Filter medium and structure |
US11504663B2 (en) | 2004-11-05 | 2022-11-22 | Donaldson Company, Inc. | Filter medium and breather filter structure |
USRE50226E1 (en) | 2004-11-05 | 2024-12-03 | Donaldson Company, Inc. | Filter medium and structure |
US12172111B2 (en) | 2004-11-05 | 2024-12-24 | Donaldson Company, Inc. | Filter medium and breather filter structure |
US9114339B2 (en) | 2007-02-23 | 2015-08-25 | Donaldson Company, Inc. | Formed filter element |
US9353481B2 (en) | 2009-01-28 | 2016-05-31 | Donldson Company, Inc. | Method and apparatus for forming a fibrous media |
US9885154B2 (en) | 2009-01-28 | 2018-02-06 | Donaldson Company, Inc. | Fibrous media |
US10316468B2 (en) | 2009-01-28 | 2019-06-11 | Donaldson Company, Inc. | Fibrous media |
CN114425872A (en) * | 2020-10-29 | 2022-05-03 | 中国石油化工股份有限公司 | Method for manufacturing high-flame-retardant-grade composite part |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2312446A (en) | 1997-10-29 |
AU2573297A (en) | 1997-11-19 |
GB9608679D0 (en) | 1996-07-03 |
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