METHOD OF DEPOSITING AND FUSING POLYMER PARTICLES ONTO MOISTENED CONTINUOUS FILAMENTS

Assignee

UNIVERSITY OF AKRON, THE

Filed

Apr 6, 1990

Granted

Nov 15, 1994

Location

AKRON OH US

Abstract

Process for making a tow pre-preg comprising long continuous fibers coated with a thermoplastic polymer. A continuously moving spread tow of long continuous fibers, preferably carbon or glass, is humidified in an atmosphere of essentially 100% relative humidity and coated with particles of a thermoplastic polymer. A polymer particle-laden air stream contacts the moistened continuously moving tow, depositing polymer particles on the fibers. The fiber diameter is about 5-50 microns and the mean particle diameter is about 0.1-40 microns. The fibers with thermoplastic particles clinging thereto are continuously heated to a temperature sufficient to cause fusion of the thermoplastic polymer. This results in long continuous fibers coated with the thermoplastic polymer. The resulting tow-preg, or tow of coated fibers, is useful in the preparation of structural composites in which the fibers service reinforcing fibers. The thermoplastic coating polymer is a high performance polymer, such as polyether-ether ketone (PEEK), where high performance and the structural composite is desired. Polymer coating weights may vary from about 20% to about 90% of the total tow-preg weight.

Source: Google Patents