Composite article and method of manufacture

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composite article and to a process for manufacturing the composite article. The composite article comprises multiple layers including high tenacity fibers incorporated into a fabric and a core thermoplastic resin. The fabric may be coated with a surface treatment agent and a polymer matrix resin. Single or multiple layers of the composite articles may be formed into a composite part having high strength, rigidity, fast molding cycle time and extremely good conformability in a 3-dimensional mold. The composite parts formed by this process have high part strength in all directions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacture of a prepreg comprising:
 a) coating a fabric with a surface treatment agent;   b) simultaneously or thereafter coating the fabric with a polymer matrix resin to form a treated, coated fabric;   c) thereafter drying the treated, coated fabric; and   d) thereafter applying a core thermoplastic resin onto the treated, coated fabric to form the prepreg.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the surface treatment agent and the polymer matrix resin are simultaneously coated on the fabric by applying a single dispersion comprising the surface treatment agent and the polymer matrix resin. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the dispersion further comprises a surfactant. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix resin has a melt flow index greater than the melt flow index of the core thermoplastic resin. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the core thermoplastic resin has a higher melt temperature than the melt temperature of the polymer matrix resin. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising heating the treated, coated fabric before forming the prepreg to a processing temperature greater than the melt temperature of the surface treatment agent and the polymer matrix resin. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the processing temperature is less than the degradation temperature of the fabric. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the processing temperature is greater than the decomposition temperature of the surfactant. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric comprises a high tenacity fiber. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the high tenacity fiber comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyarylate, liquid crystalline polyarylate, poly-p-benzamide, poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide, poly-(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole), meta-linked aromatic polyamide, carbon, glass, silicone carbide, basalt or high density polyethylene fiber. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the surface treatment agent comprises one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of polyamide/epoxidized styrene-butadiene block copolymer, EMMA (ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer), EMMA ionomer, ethylene glycidyl methacrylate copolymer, co-polypropylene, co-polyester, polyethylene terephthalate, epoxy, polymethacrylate iso-butylester, polymethacrylic n-butylester, butyl methacrylate-styrene, copolymer, polymethylmethacrylate, polyamide, co-polyamide, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polyurethane, thermoplastic polyether polyurethane and polyetheretherketone. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix resin is a thermoplastic polymer to matrix resin. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer matrix resin comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, ionomer, polyamide, polyurethane, polyethyl methacrylate, polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyetherketone (PEK, PEKK, PEEK), polyether sulfone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyester amide, polyetherimide and polyimide. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix resin is a thermoset polymer matrix resin. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mean particle size of the surface treatment agent is less than about 1 micron. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mean particle size of the polymer matrix resin is less than about 200 microns. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the core thermoplastic resin comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, thermoplastic polyurethane, polyethylmethacrylate, polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate, polyethersulfone, polyetherimide, thermoplastic polyimide, polyphenylenesulfide and polyethers. 
     
     
         18 . A method of manufacturing a 2-ply prepreg comprising:
 a) coating at least two fabrics with a surface treatment agent;   b) simultaneously or thereafter coating each fabric with a polymer matrix resin to form a first treated, coated fabric and a second treated, coated fabric;   c) thereafter drying each treated, coated fabric;   d) thereafter applying a core thermoplastic resin to a surface of each treated, coated fabric to form a first prepreg and a second prepreg; and   e) thereafter adhering the first and second prepregs together to form a 2-ply prepreg.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein adhering the first and second prepregs together comprises heating the prepregs to a temperature above the melt flow index temperatures of the core thermoplastic resins. 
     
     
         20 . A method of forming a composite part comprising:
 a) coating at least two fabrics with a surface treatment agent;   b) simultaneously or thereafter coating each fabric with a polymer matrix resin to form a first treated, coated fabric and a second treated, coated fabric;   c) thereafter drying each treated, coated fabric;   d) thereafter applying a core thermoplastic resin to a surface of each treated, coated fabric to form a first prepreg and a second prepreg;   e) thereafter adhering the first and second prepregs together to form a 2-ply prepreg; and   f) thereafter forming the 2-ply prepreg into the composite part.