Method of coating elongated filaments
First Claim
1. A method of coating an elongated filament in a manner to minimize internal residual stress, comprising:
- (a) heating an elongated filament;
(b) coating the elongated filament with a coating material, which is heated above its glass transition temperature;
(c) maintaining the coated elongated filament at a temperature and for a period of time sufficient to form crystals in the coating material and to minimize internal residual stress; and
(d) cooling the coated elongated filament below its crystallization temperature in a sufficiently short period of time to create a crystalline coating with minimized internal residual stress.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and related apparatuses are disclosed for coating an elongated filament, such as wire, wherein wire is coated with a heated coating material, such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and the coated wire is maintained at a temperature and for a period of time sufficient for a desired quantity and size of crystals to form in the coating material and to minimize internal residual stress. Thereafter, the coated wire is rapidly cooled to a temperature below its crystallization temperature, such as in a quenching bath. A crystalline PEEK coating results which has minimized internal residual stress, is less brittle, and has improved cracking, peeling and abrasion resistance over amorphous PEEK coating obtainable using prior methods.
22 Citations
11 Claims
-
1. A method of coating an elongated filament in a manner to minimize internal residual stress, comprising:
-
(a) heating an elongated filament; (b) coating the elongated filament with a coating material, which is heated above its glass transition temperature; (c) maintaining the coated elongated filament at a temperature and for a period of time sufficient to form crystals in the coating material and to minimize internal residual stress; and (d) cooling the coated elongated filament below its crystallization temperature in a sufficiently short period of time to create a crystalline coating with minimized internal residual stress. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
Specification