Composite abrasive filaments, methods of making same, articles incorporating same, and methods of using said articles

• US 5,460,883 A
• Filed: 05/25/1993
• Issued: 10/24/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Company
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Welygan, Dennis G., Barber, Loren L. Jr., Pihl, Richard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, N.
• Application Number:
  US08/066,862
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 428/370, 428/373, 428/374, 428/376, 428/378, 428/372, 51/298, 51/299
• US Class Current: 428/370
• CPC Class Codes: A46D 1/00 Bristles; Selection of materials for bristles making artificial bristles D01D, D01F
• CPC Class Codes: A46D 1/023 Bristles with at least a core and at least a partial sheath
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 13/10 comprising assemblies of brushes
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 3/28 Resins or natural or synthetic macromolecular compounds B24D3/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/06 Rod-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/15 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. extrusion moulding around inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/32 with annular openings, e.g. for forming tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/58 comprising fillers only , e.g. particles, powder, beads, flakes, spheres B29C70/025 takes precedence, agglomerating hollow spheres to produce synthetic foam B29C70/66; compounding ingredients per se C08K
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/16 Fillers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/007 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0087 Wear resistance
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/404 Yarns or threads coated with polymeric solutions
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2201/2012 comprising polymers
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2201/2044 comprising polymers
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2205/2003 Thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2205/2064 Polyurethane resins
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2205/2082 being of synthetic nature, e.g. chloroprene
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2801/18 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2801/22 Jacket or covering
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 5/006 by the properties of an outer surface polymeric coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/932 : Abrasive or cutting feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23979 : Particular backing structure or composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249921 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/29 : Coated or structually defined flake, particle, cell, strand, strand portion, rod, filament, macroscopic fiber or mass thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2913 : Rod, strand, filament or fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2915 : including textile, cloth or fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2916 : including boron or compound thereof [not as steel]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2918 : including free carbon or carbide or therewith [not as steel]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/292 : In coating or impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2924 : Composite
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2927 : including structurally defined particulate matter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2929 : Bicomponent, conjugate, composite or collateral fibers or filaments [i.e., coextruded sheath-core or side-by-side type]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2931 : Fibers or filaments nonconcentric [e.g., side-by-side or eccentric, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2935 : Discontinuous or tubular or cellular core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2938 : Coating on discrete and individual rods, strands or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2967 : Synthetic resin or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2969 : Polyamide, polyimide or polyester
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/277 : Coated or impregnated cellulosic fiber fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2902 : Aromatic polyamide fiber fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2975 : Coated or impregnated ceramic fiber fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2992 : Coated or impregnated glass fiber fabric

Abstract

A composite abrasive filament, including at least one preformed core at least partially coated with a hardened, abrasive-filled thermoplastic elastomer, exhibits increased abrading life over previously known abrasive filaments. Also disclosed are methods of making such filaments and using such filaments in article form to abrade a variety of workpieces.

Claims

1. A composite abrasive filament comprising at least one preformed core at least partially coated with a hardened composition comprising a thermoplastic elastomer and abrasive particles, said abrasive particles dispersed and adhered in the thermoplastic elastomer, and said abrasive particles present in said hardened composition at a weight percent ranging from about 0.1 to about 65 wt. %.

2. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 1 wherein said preformed core consists essentially of at least one material selected from the group consisting of metal wire, glass fiber, ceramic fiber, natural fiber, organic synthetic fiber, inorganic synthetic fiber, and combinations thereof.

3. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic elastomer is segmented.

4. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 3 wherein said segmented thermoplastic elastomers comprise polymers selected from the group consisting of segmented polyesters, segmented polyurethanes, segmented polyamides, and mixtures thereof.

5. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 1 wherein said abrasive particles are individual abrasive grains.

6. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 5 wherein said individual abrasive grains are selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, alumina zirconia, cubic boron nitride, garnet, pumice, sand, emery, mica, corundum, quartz, diamond, boron carbide, alpha alumina-based ceramic material, and combinations thereof.

7. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 5, wherein said abrasive grains are selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, and alpha alumina-based ceramic material, and comprise from about 3.0 to about 60 weight percent of the hardened composition.

8. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 2, wherein said preformed core consists of stranded metal wires, said preformed core having a diameter of at least 0.01 mm.

9. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 3, wherein said composite abrasive filament has a diameter ranging from about 0.75 mm to about 1.5 mm and has an ultimate breaking force of at least 2.0 kg.

10. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 1, wherein the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the hardened composition to the preformed core cross-sectional area ranges from about 0.5:

1 to about 300;

1, the cross-sections defined by a plane perpendicular to the composite abrasive filament major axis.

11. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of the hardened composition is at least about 40% of the cross-sectional area of the composite abrasive filament, the cross-sections defined by a plane perpendicular to composite abrasive filament major axis.

12. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 1, wherein said preformed core comprises at least one continuous monofilament having a diameter of at least about 0.2 mm.

13. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 1, wherein said preformed core consists of a plurality of substantially parallel metal wires.

14. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 13, wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of steel, copper, and combinations thereof.

15. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic elastomer is ionomeric.

16. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 1 wherein said abrasive particles are agglomerates of individual abrasive grains.

17. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 16 wherein said thermoplastic elastomer further has individual abrasive grains dispersed therein.

18. A composite abrasive filament in accordance with claim 1 wherein said performed core consists of a plurality of substantially parallel fibers comprising materials selected from the group consisting of ceramic fibers, glass fibers, natural fibers, synthetic fibers, and combinations thereof.

19. A composite abrasive filament comprising at least one preformed core at least partially coated with a hardened composition comprising a thermoplastic elastomer and abrasive particles, said abrasive particles dispersed and adhered in the thermoplastic elastomer, said abrasive particles present in said hardened composition at a weight percent ranging from about 0.1 to about 65 weight percent, and said preformed core consisting of a plied yarn of fibers selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, ceramic fibers, natural fibers, organic synthetic fibers, inorganic synthetic fibers, and combinations thereof.

20. A composite abrasive filament comprising at least one preformed core at least partially coated with a hardened composition comprising a segmented thermoplastic elastomer and abrasive particles, said abrasive particles dispersed and adhered in the segmented thermoplastic elastomer, said abrasive particles present in said hardened composition at a weight percent ranging from about 0.1 to about 65 weight percent, and said segmented thermoplastic elastomer having a Shore D durometer hardness ranging from about 30 to about 90.