阅读说明：本技术 可再生连续纤维热塑性复合材料的制备方法及其制品 (Method for preparing renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material and product thereof ) 是由 左苏兰 张伟华 于 2021-07-27 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种可再生连续纤维热塑性复合材料的制造方法,包括：将连续纤维通过分层进入到拉挤模具中,所述拉挤模具包括第一浸渍槽、第二浸渍槽,其中所述连续纤维分层后进入所述第一浸渍槽,所述第一浸渍槽和所述第二浸渍槽首尾连通；将热塑性材料进到第一浸渍槽中分层的连续纤维层间区域,对所述分层的连续纤维进行浸渍；将在第一浸渍槽中经浸渍的连续纤维前进进入所述第二浸渍槽,将热塑性材料进到所述第二浸渍槽中对所述经浸渍的连续纤维进行外浸渍；将经拉挤的外浸渍过的连续纤维进行冷却,形成所述可再生连续纤维热塑性复合材料。本发明还涉及由上述方法制成的制品。本发明的方法获得的复合材料性能优异。(The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material, which comprises the following steps: the continuous fibers are layered and enter a pultrusion die, the pultrusion die comprises a first impregnation tank and a second impregnation tank, the continuous fibers enter the first impregnation tank after being layered, and the first impregnation tank and the second impregnation tank are communicated end to end; feeding a thermoplastic material into a region between layered continuous fiber layers in a first impregnation tank to impregnate the layered continuous fibers; advancing the impregnated continuous fibers in the first impregnation tank into the second impregnation tank, advancing a thermoplastic material into the second impregnation tank to exo-impregnate the impregnated continuous fibers; cooling the pultruded outer impregnated continuous fibers to form the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite. The invention also relates to articles made by the above method. The composite material obtained by the method has excellent performance.)

1. A method of making a renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite, the method comprising:

the continuous fibers are layered and enter a pultrusion die, the pultrusion die comprises a first impregnation tank, a second impregnation tank, a first thermoplastic material feed port and a second thermoplastic material feed port, the continuous fibers enter the first impregnation tank after being layered, and the first impregnation tank is communicated with the second impregnation tank end to end;

feeding the molten thermoplastic material into an interlayer region of the layered continuous fibers in a first impregnation tank by using an extruder and the first thermoplastic material feed port to perform internal impregnation on the layered continuous fibers;

advancing the impregnated continuous fibers in the first impregnation tank into the second impregnation tank and externally impregnating the impregnated continuous fibers by advancing a molten thermoplastic material into the second impregnation tank using an extruder and the second thermoplastic material feed port;

cooling the pultruded outer impregnated continuous fibers to form the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite.

2. The method of manufacturing the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the first and second dip tanks are void of cores and the layering of the continuous fibers is performed using a fiber layering plate located at the entrance of the pultrusion die.

3. The method of manufacturing a renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite according to claim 1 wherein the first impregnation tank and the second impregnation tank have a slope in at least a portion of the direction of advancement of the composite.

4. The method of manufacturing a renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite according to claim 1 wherein a mandrel is provided in the first and second impregnation tanks, the mandrel being a mandrel, a portion of the mandrel in the first impregnation tank being provided with a depression, molten thermoplastic material being fed into the depression through the first thermoplastic material feed inlet to internally impregnate the layered continuous fibers; wherein the continuous fibers are layered into the first impregnation tank via a periphery of the mandrel.

5. The method of making the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the first impregnation tank and the second impregnation tank are preheated.

6. The method of making a renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic is selected from polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, nylon, polycarbonate, polyurethane, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene, or any combination thereof.

7. The method of making a renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite according to claim 1 wherein the continuous fiber is selected from thermoplastic glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, basalt fiber, or any combination thereof.

8. The method of manufacturing a renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material according to claim 1 wherein hot runners are provided in said extrusion dies at said first thermoplastic material feed port and said second thermoplastic material feed port, respectively, and wherein separate heating means and temperature control means are provided in said hot runners to control the temperature of the thermoplastic material in said hot runners.

9. A method of manufacturing a tool shank, the method comprising:

separately molding the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material produced according to the method of producing renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material of any one of claims 1-8 in a mold to form the tool shank.

10. A tool shank core comprising the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite manufactured according to the method of manufacturing the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite of any one of claims 1-8.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a preparation method of a composite material, in particular to a preparation method of a renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material. The invention also relates to articles comprising the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite prepared by the method, in particular to a tool shank core made of the composite and a tool shank comprising the shank core.

Background

Heretofore, hand tool handles, such as axe handles, hammer handles, and the like, have been made of wood, metal, or thermoset plastics. After the thermosetting plastic is processed and molded, the thermosetting plastic is not softened any more after being heated, so that the thermosetting plastic cannot be recycled. The thermosetting plastic molding process is also complicated. In addition, thermosetting plastics are generally difficult to degrade, and waste materials of this type cause environmental damage and are environmentally unfriendly materials.

The tool handle made of thermoplastic plastics only can be regenerated and recycled, but the mechanical performance and safety of the tool handle cannot meet the requirements of the industry.

Engineering plastics with short reinforcing fibers such as glass or carbon fibers have a higher density than pure nylon. Wherein the length of the short glass fibers may vary, typically between 1.59mm and 6.35 mm.

There remains a need in the art for a renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material suitable for use in tool handles that has high strength and good toughness, and a method for making the composite material.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to solve the above technical problems in the prior art, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material, the method comprising:

the continuous fibers enter a pultrusion die through layering, the pultrusion die comprises a first impregnation tank, a second impregnation tank, a first thermoplastic material feeding hole and a second thermoplastic material feeding hole, the continuous fibers enter the first impregnation tank after layering, and the first impregnation tank and the second impregnation tank are communicated end to end;

feeding the molten thermoplastic material into an interlayer region of the layered continuous fibers in a first impregnation tank by using an extruder and the first thermoplastic material feed port to perform internal impregnation on the layered continuous fibers;

advancing the impregnated continuous fibers in the first impregnation tank into the second impregnation tank and externally impregnating the impregnated continuous fibers by advancing a molten thermoplastic material into the second impregnation tank using an extruder and the second thermoplastic material feed port;

cooling the pultruded outer impregnated continuous fibers to form the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite.

As used herein, "external impregnation" is used in contrast to "internal impregnation", i.e. further impregnation with thermoplastic material on the "internally impregnated" continuous fibers.

In one embodiment, no cores are provided in the first and second impregnation tanks, and the layering of the continuous fibers is performed using a fiber layering plate provided at the entrance of the pultrusion die.

In one embodiment, the first impregnation tank and the second impregnation tank have a slope at least in a portion in the advancing direction of the composite material.

The above-mentioned inclination and the shape of the impregnation tanks depend on the shape of the composite material and cannot in principle cause an in-mould agglomerate.

In one embodiment, the inclination of the first impregnation tank in the advancing direction of the composite material is different from the inclination of the second impregnation tank in the advancing direction of the composite material.

In one embodiment, the composite material is advanced using a crawler tractor.

In one embodiment, the first impregnation tank and the second impregnation tank are preheated.

In one embodiment, the thermoplastic material is selected from Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA, colloquially known as plexiglass), Polyvinylchloride (PVC), Nylon (Nylon), Polycarbonate (PC), Polyurethane (PU), polytetrafluoroethylene (teflon, PTFE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET, PETE), and Polybutylene (PB), or any combination thereof.

In one embodiment, the continuous fibers are selected from thermoplastic glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, basalt fibers, or any combination thereof.

In one embodiment, the method of making the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite employs a continuous process.

In one embodiment, a core is provided in the first impregnation tank and the second impregnation tank, the core is a core rod, a portion of the core rod in the first impregnation tank is provided with a recess, and the molten thermoplastic material is fed into the recess through the first thermoplastic material feed port to internally impregnate the layered continuous fibers; wherein the continuous fibers are layered into the first impregnation tank via a periphery of the mandrel.

Preferably, the core rod is preheated to the same or similar temperature as the molten thermoplastic material.

The mandrel is preferably suspended in the first impregnation tank and the second impregnation tank by a mandrel fixing and supporting device arranged outside the pultrusion die.

Preferably, hot runners are respectively arranged in the pultrusion die at the first thermoplastic material feeding port and the second thermoplastic material feeding port, and an independent heating device and a temperature control device are arranged in the hot runners so as to control the temperature of the thermoplastic materials in the hot runners.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of making a tool shank comprising the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite described above, the method comprising:

the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite manufactured according to the method of manufacturing renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite described above is separately molded in a mold to form the tool shank.

In one embodiment, the additional molding comprises molding with different materials in different processes.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is directed to a tool shank core comprising the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material produced by the above-described method of producing a renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material.

Yet another aspect of the invention relates to a tool handle that includes the tool handle core described above.

The present invention also relates to an article having a core comprising the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite produced by the above-described method of producing a renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite.

The method for manufacturing the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material adopts fiber layering, fiber layering forms with different shapes are designed according to the shape of the composite material, such as a hollow layering form, a solid layering form and the like, and two-step or more continuous processes of interlayer internal impregnation and external impregnation enable the thermoplastic material and the continuous fiber to be fully compounded and uniformly impregnated.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pultrusion die employed in the method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the process equipment layout of the process of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another pultrusion die employed in the method of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The invention will be further explained with reference to the drawings. It is to be understood that the specific embodiments of the invention that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings are for purposes of description only and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Accordingly, the drawings in the present application should not be construed as limiting the invention in any way.

For purposes of clarity, the invention will be understood by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which some features or characteristics may be omitted from the drawings.

It should be understood that directional terms such as, but not limited to, "front," "back," "bottom," "side," "lateral," "vertical," "up," "down," "in," "out," and the like as may appear in the present invention, are relative concepts only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

Refer to fig. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pultrusion die employed in the method of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the process equipment layout of the process of the present invention. The method for manufacturing the renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material comprises the steps of firstly, enabling a plurality of continuous fibers 1001 led out from a fiber frame 1000 to enter a pultrusion die 100 in a layered mode through a fiber layered plate 40 at a fiber inlet 30 of the pultrusion die 100, wherein the tail end of the fiber layered plate 40 is communicated with a first impregnation tank 10, and therefore the fibers entering the first impregnation tank 10 are layered, namely, an interlayer gap (not shown) is formed. The pultrusion die 100 is provided with a first thermoplastic material feed opening 101 corresponding to the layer gap. In order to ensure sufficient internal impregnation of the fibers by the thermoplastic material, the first impregnation tank 10 is preferably preheated to the same temperature as or similar to the temperature of the thermoplastic material extruded from the first extruder 110 through the first thermoplastic material feed port 101.

The first impregnation tank 10 preferably has a slope in the advancing direction such that the fibres impregnated with thermoplastic material are further pressed when advancing, thereby further facilitating impregnation of the fibres by the thermoplastic material. That is, the first impregnation tank 10 is tapered in the advancing direction of the composite material. The composite material advances in the direction indicated by the arrows in fig. 1 and 2.

The tail of the first dipping tank 10 is communicated with the head of the second dipping tank 20. The fibers impregnated in the first impregnation tank 10 advance into the second impregnation tank 20. A second thermoplastic material feed opening 201 is provided at the head of the second impregnation tank 20. In order to ensure sufficient external impregnation of the fibers by the thermoplastic material, the second impregnation tank 20 is preferably preheated to the same temperature as or similar to the temperature of the thermoplastic material extruded from the first extruder 110 through the second thermoplastic material feed port 201.

This is the case when the first thermoplastic feed port 101 and the second thermoplastic feed port 201 share a common extruder 110. Alternatively, an additional extruder may be used for the second thermoplastic feed port 201, and the additional extruder may be disposed on the same side or opposite side as the first extruder 110. A third extruder may be placed overhead for more complex composites.

The extruder in the present invention may be a single screw extruder or a twin screw extruder.

The second impregnation tank 10 also preferably has a slope in the advancing direction so that the fibres impregnated outside the thermoplastic material are further pressed when advancing, thereby further facilitating the impregnation of the fibres by the thermoplastic material. That is, the second impregnation tank 20 is tapered at least partially in the advancing direction of the composite material. Preferably, the second impregnation tank 20 is tapered in the advancing direction of the composite material. The composite material advances in the direction indicated by the arrows in fig. 1 and 2.

The composite material exiting the pultrusion die 100 advances through a cooling die 200. In the cooling mold 200, the composite material is cooled and shaped under pressure to achieve the final product shape.

The shaped composite material exiting the cooling die 200 then proceeds into a cooling water tank 300 for further cooling to obtain the desired product profile 500.

As shown in fig. 2, a crawler tractor 400 may be used to advance the fibers and composite materials of the present invention, but the manner of traction in the present invention is not limited thereto. Other traction means known to those skilled in the art may also be used with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another pultrusion die employed in the method of the present invention. As shown in fig. 3, unlike the pultrusion die 100 of fig. 1, the pultrusion die 100 ' of the present embodiment is provided with a core rod 50 in a first impregnation tank 10 ' and a second impregnation tank 20 '. The mandrel 50 is suspended in the first impregnation tank 10 ' and the second impregnation tank 20 ' by mandrel fixing and supporting means 61, 62 located outside the pultrusion die 100 '. Continuous fibers (not shown) enter the first impregnation tank 10 'through the circumferential stratification of the mandrel 50 at the fiber inlet 30'.

The portion of the core rod 50 in the first impregnation tank 10 'is provided with a depression 510, and the molten thermoplastic material is fed into the depression 510 through the first thermoplastic material feed port 101' to internally impregnate the layered continuous fibers under the pressure of the extruder 110.

The structure is the same as the second impregnation tank 20 of the pultrusion die 100, except that the core rods 50 are also provided in the second impregnation tank 20'.

By using the pultrusion die 100' described above, a hollow composite material can be manufactured. The cross-sectional shape of the mandrel in this embodiment may be circular, elliptical, polygonal, etc.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that solid and hollow continuous fiber thermoplastic composites of different shapes can be prepared by matching the shape of the impregnation tank and the shape of the mandrel in the pultrusion die. Thermoplastic materials in the method of the present invention include, but are not limited to, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, nylon, polycarbonate, polyurethane, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene, and the like; the fibers in the process of the present invention include, but are not limited to, thermoplastic glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, basalt fibers, and the like. The temperature and pressure employed during impregnation may vary for different thermoplastic materials and fibers.

The renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material prepared by the above method may be further formed into various articles such as tool shank cores, including solid tool shank cores and hollow tool shank cores, which are formed into hand tool shanks such as axels, hammer shanks, etc., or architectural doors and windows, traffic barriers, etc., by further encasing other thermoplastic materials in a mold.

The step-by-step impregnation process ensures that the obtained renewable continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material has high compactness, complete compounding and excellent mechanical properties. Articles made from the composite material also have excellent properties.

Based upon the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be apparent that the invention defined by the appended claims is not limited solely to the specific details set forth in the foregoing description, as many apparent variations thereof are possible without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.