Claims
- 1. A process for preparing a composite article which comprises:
- (a) forming a continuous tow of continuous non-thermoplastic reinforcing fibers;
- (b) forming a continuous tow of continuous thermoplastic polymer fibers having a melting point of at least about 50.degree. C.;
- (c) uniformly and continuously spreading the thermoplastic polymer fiber tow to a selected width;
- (d) uniformly and continuously spreading the non-thermoplastic reinforcing fiber tow to a width that is essentially the same as the selected width for the thermoplastic polymer fiber tow;
- (e) intimately, uniformly and continuously intermixing the spread non-thermoplastic reinforcing fiber tow and the spread thermoplastic polymer fiber tow in a relatively tension-free state by employing a gas intermixing means which directs a generally perpendicular gas flow onto the fibers and by bringing the tows into simultaneous contact with each other in substantially the same area such that there is provided a substantially uniform distribution of the thermoplastic fibers and the non-thermoplastic reinforcing fibers within an intimately intermixed tow;
- (f) continuously withdrawing the intimately intermixed tow;
- (g) applying the intimately intermixed tow to a mold; and
- (h) heating the intermixed tow to a temperature above the melting point of the thermoplastic fibers.
- 2. A process for preparing a composite article which comprises:
- (a) forming a continuous tow of continuous non-thermoplastic reinforcing fibers;
- (b) forming a continuous tow of continuous thermoplastic polymer fibers having a melting point of at least about 50.degree. C.;
- (c) uniformly and continuously spreading the thermoplastic polymer fiber tow to a selected width;
- (d) uniformly and continuously spreading the non-thermoplastic reinforcing fiber tow to a width that is essentially the same as the selected width for the thermoplastic polymer fiber tow;
- (e) intimately, uniformly and continuously intermixing the spread non-thermoplastic reinforcing fiber tow and the spread thermoplastic polymer fiber tow in a relatively tension-free state by employing a gas box which directs a generally perpendicular gas flow onto the fibers and by bringing the tows into simultaneous contact with each other in substantially the same area such that there is provided a substantially uniform distribution of the thermoplastic fibers and the non-thermoplastic reinforcing fibers within an intimately intermixed tow;
- (f) continuously withdrawing the intimately intermixed tow;
- (g) applying the intimately intermixed tow to a mold; and
- (h) heating the intermixed tow to a temperature above the melting point of the thermoplastic fibers.
- 3. The process of claims 1 or 2 wherein the reinforcing fibers are formed from the group consisting of metallic, ceramic, amorphous, and polycrystalline fibers.
- 4. The process of claim 3 wherein the reinforcing fibers are formed from glass, boron or ceramic fibers.
- 5. The process of claims 1 or 2 wherein the tow of reinforcing fibers has a bundle denier of about 100 to 100,000.
- 6. The process of claims 1 or 2 wherein the tow of reinforcing fibers has a bundle denier of about 1,000 to 16,000.
- 7. The process of claims 1 or 2 wherein the tow of reinforcing fibers contains about 100 to 300,000 filaments.
- 8. The process of claims 1 or 2 wherein the two of reinforcing fibers contains about 3,000 to 24,000 filaments.
- 9. The process of claims 1 or 2 wherein the thermoplastic polymer fibers are selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyesters, nylons, polyamidimides, polyetherimides, polysulfones, polyether ether ketones and wholly aromatic polyester resins.
- 10. The process of claims 1 or 2 wherein the thermoplastic polymer fibers are liquid crystal polymer fibers.
- 11. The process of claims 1 or 2 wherein the thermoplastic polymer fibers are wholly aromatic polyester fibers.
- 12. The process of claims 1 or 2 wherein the denier of the individual thermoplastic fibers is in the range of about 1 to about 50 and wherein the tow of thermoplastic fibers contains from about 10 to about 150,000 filaments.
- 13. The process of claims 1 or 2 wherein the intimately intermixed tow contains about 10 to about 70 percent by volume of non-thermoplastic reinforcing fibers.
- 14. The process of claim 13 wherein the intimately intermixed tow contains about 20 to about 60 percent by volume of non-thermoplastic reinforcing fibers.
- 15. The process of claim 14 wherein the intermixed tow contains about 60 percent by volume of non-thermoplastic reinforcing fibers.
- 16. The process of claims 1 or 2 wherein the intimately intermixed tow is continuously applied to a mold employing a filament winding process.
- 17. The process of claims 1 or 2 wherein the intimately intermixed tow is applied to a mold in the form of a woven fabric.
- 18. The process of claims 1 or 2 wherein the composite article is a recreational article.
- 19. The process of claim 18 wherein the composite article is a tennis racquet frame.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 06/589,930 filed on Mar. 15, 1984, now abandoned.
Government Interests
This invention was made with government support under contract No. NAS1-15749 awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Government has certain rights in this invention.
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
589930 |
Mar 1984 |
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