Polymer/WUCS mat for use in automotive applications

• US 20080050571A1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Enamul Haque
• Original Assignee: Enamul Haque
• Inventors: Haque, Enamul
• Application Number:
  US11/897,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20080050571A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/219
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/03 3 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/40 Symmetrical or sandwich layers, e.g. ABA, ABCBA, ABCCBA
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/023 Two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/046 Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0215 Thermoplastic elastomer fibers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0253 Polyolefin fibres vinyl or acrylic copolymers B32B2262/0223 or B32B2262/0246
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0261 Polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0284 Polyethylene terephthalate [PET] or polybutylene terephthalate [PBT]
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/101 Glass fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/12 Conjugate fibres, e.g. core/sheath or side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/14 Mixture of at least two fibres made of different materials
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/0278 Polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/102 Insulating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/304 Insulating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/54 Yield strength; Tensile strength
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/546 Flexural strength; Flexion stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/558 Impact strength, toughness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/56 Damping, energy absorption
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/718 Weight, e.g. weight per square meter
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2471/04 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/08 : Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/06 : characterised by a fibrous or filamentary layer mechanically connected, e.g. by needling to another layer, e.g. of fibres, of paper
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/08 : the fibres or filaments of a layer being of different substances , e.g. conjugate fibres, mixture of different fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/10 : characterised by a fibrous or filamentary layer reinforced with filaments
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/245 : another layer next to it being a foam layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/28 : impregnated with or embedded in a plastic substance not used
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/08 : Insulating elements, e.g. for sound insulation sound insulating linings for trains B61D17/185; drivers' cabs for load-carrying vehicles insulated against vibrations or noise B62D33/0604; thermal or acoustic insulation of engines F02B77/11; damping of sounds using compensation by electro-acoustic methods G10K11/178
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4209 : Inorganic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4218 : Glass fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4291 : Olefin series
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4334 : Polyamides
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/435 : Polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4374 : using different kinds of webs, e.g. by layering webs
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/43828 : sheath-core
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4383 : sea-island
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/43832 : side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/43835 : Mixed fibres, e.g. at least two chemically different fibres or fibre blends
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/48 : in combination with at least one other method of consolidation
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/485 : in combination with weld-bonding
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/488 : in combination with bonding agents
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/54 : by welding together the fibres, e.g. by partially melting or dissolving in combination with needling D04H1/485
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/60 : the bonding agent being applied in dry state, e.g. thermo-activatable agents in solid or molten state, and heat being applied subsequently
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/004 : Glass yarns or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 5/02 : strengthened or consolidated by mechanical methods, e.g. needling needling machines D04H18/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 : Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/60 : Nonwoven fabric [i.e., nonwoven strand or fiber material]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/637 : Including strand or fiber material which is a monofilament composed of two or more polymeric materials in physically distinct relationship [e.g., sheath-core, side-by-side, islands-in-sea, fibrils-in-matrix, etc.] or composed of physical blend of chemically different polymeric materials or a physical blend of a polymeric material and a filler material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/643 : Including parallel strand or fiber material within the nonwoven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/69 : Autogenously bonded nonwoven fabric

Abstract

An acoustical and thermally absorbent chopped strand mat formed of thermoplastic bonding materials and bundles of reinforcing fibers is provided. The reinforcing fibers are preferably wet use chopped strand glass fibers (WUCS). The thermoplastic bonding materials may be any thermoplastic or thermosetting material having a melting point less than the reinforcing fiber. The chopped strand mat may be formed by partially opening the WUCS fibers and filamentizing the thermoplastic bonding materials, blending the reinforcement and thermoplastic bonding fibers, forming the reinforcement and thermoplastic bonding fibers into a sheet, and bonding the sheet. During bonding, the sheet is heated to a temperature above the melting point of the thermoplastic bonding fibers but below the temperature of the glass fibers. The melted thermoplastic bonding fibers act as a glue to hold the glass fibers in bundles. The chopped strand mat thus formed may be used as a reinforcement material in automotive applications.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. An acoustical and thermally insulative non woven chopped strand mat suitable for use in automotive applications comprising:

bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers; and

a thermoplastic bonding material having a melting point less than the melting point of said bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers, said thermoplastic bonding material bonding at least a portion of said bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material; and

wherein said bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material are substantially uniformly distributed throughout said chopped strand mat.

11. The chopped strand mat according to claim 10, wherein said reinforcement fibers are selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, wool glass fibers, natural fibers, metal fibers, ceramic fibers, mineral fibers, carbon fibers, graphite fibers, nylon fibers, rayon fibers, polymer based thermoplastic fibers and combinations thereof.

12. The chopped strand mat according to claim 10, wherein said dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers are present in said chopped strand mat in an amount of from about 80 to about 98% by weight of the total fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material is present in said chopped strand mat in an amount of from about 2 to about 20% by weight of the total fibers.

13. The chopped strand mat according to claim 12, wherein said chopped strand mat has a weight distribution of from about 80 to about 500 g/m².

14. The chopped strand mat according to claim 10, wherein said dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers are dehydrated wet use chopped strand glass fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material is a bicomponent fiber.

15. The chopped strand mat according to claim 14, wherein said bicomponent fiber is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate/polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate/polyethylene, polypropylene/polyethylene, copolyester polyethylene terephthalate/polyethylene terephthalate (coPET/PET), poly 1,4 cyclohexanedimethyl terephthalate/polypropylene (PCT/PP), high density polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate (HDPE/PET), high density polyethylene/polypropylene (HDPE/PP), linear low density polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate (LLDPE/PET), nylon 6/nylon 6,6 (PA6/PA6,6) and glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate/polyethylene terephthalate (6PETg/PET).

16. A method of forming a laminate composite comprising the steps of:

placing a first adhesive layer formed of a first adhesive on a scrim;

depositing a first chopped strand mat layer on said first adhesive layer, said chopped strand mat including bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers and a thermoplastic bonding material having a melting point less than the melting point of said dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers, said thermoplastic bonding material having been heat treated to at least partially melt and bond at least a portion of said bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material;

placing a second adhesive layer formed of a second adhesive on said first chopped strand mat layer; and

positioning a foam material on said second adhesive layer to form a laminate composite.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

depositing a third adhesive layer formed of a third adhesive on said foam material;

positioning a second chopped strand mat layer on said third adhesive layer; and

placing a fourth adhesive layer formed of a fourth adhesive on said second chopped strand mat layer.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of forming said chopped strand mat, said forming step including:

partially opening bundles of wet reinforcement fibers;

removing at least a portion of water from said partially opened bundles of wet reinforcement fibers to form said bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers;

mixing said dehydrated wet reinforcement fiber bundles and said thermoplastic bonding material to form a substantially homogenous mixture of said dehydrated wet reinforcement fiber bundles and said thermoplastic bonding material;

forming said mixture of dehydrated wet reinforcement fiber bundles and said thermoplastic bonding material into a sheet; and

bonding at least a portion of said dehydrated wet reinforcement fiber bundles and said thermoplastic bonding material to form said chopped strand mat.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth adhesives have a form selected from the group consisting of film form and powdered form.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said foam material is polyurethane foam boards.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein said laminate composite product is a headliner for an automobile and said method further comprises the steps of:

trimming said laminate composite product; and

molding said trimmed laminate composite into a headliner.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:

passing said laminate composite product through a lamination oven prior to said trimming step.

23. A method of forming a laminate composite product comprising the steps of:

forming a first layered material including;

depositing a first adhesive layer formed of a first adhesive onto a first scrim;

positioning a first chopped strand mat layer on said first adhesive layer, said chopped strand mat including bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers and a thermoplastic bonding material having a melting point less than the melting point of said dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers, said thermoplastic bonding material bonding said bundles of dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material; and

placing a second adhesive layer formed of a second adhesive on said first chopped strand mat layer;

forming a second layered material including;

depositing a third adhesive layer formed of a third adhesive onto a foam material layer;

placing a second chopped strand mat layer on said third adhesive layer;

depositing a fourth adhesive layer formed of a fourth adhesive onto said second chopped strand mat layer; and

placing a second scrim on said fourth adhesive layer; and

positioning said second layered material and said first layered material such that said foam material layer is adjacent to said second adhesive layer to form said laminate composite product.