Plastic composite articles and methods of making same

• US 9,227,346 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2005
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: McLeod, David G., D'Hooghe, Edward L., Teli, Samar R.
• Primary Examiner(s): THROWER, LARRY W
• Application Number:
  US11/577,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20080265457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,729 Days
• Field of Search: 264/173.19, 264/210.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3602 with means for positioning, fastening or clamping the material to be formed or preforms inside the mould
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3631 moving in a frame for pressing and stretching; material being subjected to compressing stretching
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/36 Moulds for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/004 Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics fibres combined with plastic layers B29C51/145; compression moulding of reinforced plastic articles in matched moulds B29C70/46; using pressure difference B29C70/44
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/04 comprising reinforcements only, e.g. self-reinforcing plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/0641 MDPE, i.e. medium density polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 1/00 Layered products having a non-planar shape
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/283 synthetic polymer-based, e.g. polyamide or polyester fibres cellulose-based artificial fibres D03D15/225
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/46 Flat yarns, e.g. tapes or films
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2321/021 polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2321/022 polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/041 thermoplastic; thermosetting
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2505/02 Reinforcing materials; Prepregs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/13 Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1303 Paper containing [e.g., paperboard, cardboard, fiberboard, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1352 Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1359 Three or more layers [continuous layer]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/139 : Open-ended, self-supporting conduit, cylinder, or tube-type article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1393 : Multilayer [continuous layer]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 : including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 : Thickness [relative or absolute]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24975 : No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/264 : Up to 3 mils
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 : Composite [nonstructural laminate]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31909 : Next to second addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31913 : Monoolefin polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2008 : Fabric composed of a fiber or strand which is of specific structural definition

Abstract

A reinforced composite article and method for making the same. The article and method employ at least one elongated plastic member as a reinforcement phase. An intermediate form including the elongated member is made and can be processed, for example, to form a composite article with a smooth exposed reinforcement surface.

Claims

1. A method for making a shaped composite article, comprising the steps of:

a. providing at least one elongated member of a first thermoplastic material and having a surface portion capable of melting prior to the melting of an adjoining or internal portion; and

b. processing the elongated member into an intermediate form that includes a plurality of repeating structural units that are generally free to move relative to each other, wherein the form is capable of being processed to form a shaped composite article including an exposed portions, and that is ruck-free over the exposed portions of the form in the resulting composite article and has a relatively high degree of retained orientation in the unit;

wherein the at least one elongated member further comprises a non-migratory process aid agent in an amount less than about 10% by weight of the material of the elongated member;

wherein the step of processing the elongated member into an intermediate form includes a step of disposing one of the repeating structural units relative to another; and

wherein the plurality of repeating structural units are capable of being arranged to define a pattern; and

wherein the first thermoplastic material is coextruded to include a layer that includes a propylene-ethylene copolymer and an adjoining layer that includes an isotactic polypropylene homopolymer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing step (b) includes at least one processing step selected from thermoforming, vacuum forming, pressure forming, compression molding, blow molding, injection molding, rotational molding, hot pressing, laminating, extrusion blow molding, profile extruding or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing step (b) includes an injection molding step.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the agent includes a silicone, a polyolefin, a halogenated polymer, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the agent comprises a high molecular weight silicone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the structural units are warps, wefts, or windings.