Claims
- 1. A reinforced continuous molded article comprising:at least one thermoplastic, and about 2% to about 15%, by volume, reinforcing particles, said particles each comprising one or more layers, at least 50% of said reinforcing particles being less than about 20 layers thick, at least 99% of said reinforcing particles being less than about 30 layers thick, and said layers having a thickness of between about 0.7 nm and 1.2 nm, wherein said reinforcing particles are essentially homogenously dispersed throughout the thermoplastic such that the molded article has a uniformly reinforced cross section.
- 2. A reinforced continuous molded article according to claim 1, wherein the uniformly reinforced cross section exhibits an impact resistance in a transverse plane of at least 80% of impact resistance in a longitudinal direction 90 degrees to the transverse plane.
- 3. A method of producing a reinforced continuous molded article comprising:preparing a melt of at least one thermoplastic and about 2% to about 15%, by volume, of reinforcing particles, said particles each comprising one or more layers, at least 50% of said reinforcing particles being less than about 20 layers thick, at least 99% of said reinforcing particles being less than about 30 layers thick, and said layers having a thickness of between about 0.7 nm and 1.2 nm; intimately mixing said thermoplastic and said reinforcing particles via the rotational action of at least one screw housed in an extrusion barrel, conveying said melt, including said 2%-15% by volume reinforcing particles, along the surface of at least one screw to a metering section, forcing said melt to exit from the metering section through a shaping die at a discharging end of the extrusion barrel, and cooling said melt, wherein cooled discharged portions of said melt are then cut to desired lengths, forming an extruded profile being equally reinforced in all aspects.
- 4. A method of producing a reinforced continuous molded article according to claim 3, wherein the lengths equally reinforced in all aspects exhibit an impact resistance in a transverse plane of at least 80% of impact resistance in a longitudinal direction 90 degrees to the transverse plane.
- 5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the extruded profile has an embossed surface.
- 6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said embossed surface comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a leather grained surface and a wood grained surface.
- 7. A method according to claim 3, wherein a decorative film is laminated to at least one surface of the extruded profile.
Parent Case Info
This application is the National Phase of International Application PCT/US00/06442 filed Apr. 4, 2000 which designated the U.S. and that International Application which claims priority from provisional application Serial No. 60/129,539, filed Apr. 16, 1999 was published under PCT Article 21(2) in English.
GOVERNMENTAL SUPPORT AND INTEREST
The invention in this patent was made with Governmental support under Cooperative Agreement No. 70NANB7H3028 awarded to the Dow Chemical Company and Decoma International of America, Inc. (formerly Magna International of America, Inc.), project ID 1997-02-0047B, project name “NANOCOMPOSITES—NEW LOW COST/HIGH STRENGTH MATERIALS FOR AUTOMOTIVE PARTS,” awarded Sep. 30, 1997 by the United States Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Advanced Technology Program. The Government has certain rights in this invention.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US00/06442 |
|
WO |
00 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO00/62961 |
10/26/2000 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5552469 |
Beall et al. |
Sep 1996 |
A |
5747560 |
Christiani et al. |
May 1998 |
A |
5952093 |
Nichols et al. |
Sep 1999 |
A |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/129539 |
Apr 1999 |
US |