Thermoformed Structural Composites

Abstract

The present invention is generally directed to methods and systems for making thermoformed structural elements and composites, including the use of composites, dissimilar or variable processing materials. The present invention avoids the expense and the technical issues of the present art on how difficult it is to ‘clean’ said ‘dirty’ recycled materials so that they are acceptable to the extrusion process and or the injection mold process. The end products can have the same outward appearance as those products made by the more demanding, more expensive extrusion process and or injection process, but the present invention's end products can be pre-engineered to have significantly, unexpectedly, improved physical and chemical properties.

1 . A thermoformed structural-composite construct comprising:
 a first material having a first melting pointing, a first thermal mass, a first thermal energy density, a first thermal-energy gradient, and a first structural integrity,   a second material having a second melting pointing, a second thermal mass, a second thermal energy density, a second thermal-energy gradient, and a second structural integrity, said first and second materials are compressed between a first matched die and a second matched die to create heat and pressure by utilizing the differential between said first and second melting points, thermal-mass, thermal-energy-densities, thermal-energy gradients and structural integrities in the individual near-melt-point range vis-a-vis pressure-heat ratio for just said first material but does not approach the melting point for the second material, and   a third composite material thermoformed from the merged compression of said first material with said second material, said third composite material thermo-formed without distinct shear planes.   
     
     
         2 . The construct of  claim 1 , wherein said materials include one of the following: phase-separated mixtures, immiscible blends, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), or poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). 
     
     
         3 . The construct of  claim 1 , wherein said materials include polymer originating from waste streams of various origins, cellulose acetate materials from cigarette filters, or packaging fillings. 
     
     
         4 . The construct of  claim 1 , wherein said materials include co-mingled material 
     
     
         5 . The construct of  claim 1 , wherein said materials include one of the following: High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Vinyl/Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), High impact polystyrene (HIPS), polylactide (PLA), Nylon, Polycarbonate (PC), Acrylic, or Fiberglass. 
     
     
         6 . The construct of  claim 1 , wherein said materials include one of the following: thermoset epoxies, thermoset polyesters, thermoset silicones, thermoset phenolics, vulcanized rubber, polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride (bakelite), cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), Polyurethane (PU), carbon fiber, flame retardant plastics, fiber reinforced plastics. 
     
     
         7 . The construct of  claim 1 , wherein said materials are one of the following: glass filled plastics, cured silicone, mixed plastics, metals, paper, or shape memory plastics (SMP). 
     
     
         8 . The construct of  claim 1 , wherein said materials possess one or more of the following: pigments, inks, adhesives, chlorine, styrene, and Olefin. 
     
     
         9 . The construct of  claim 1 , wherein said materials include engineered grade plastics recovered from electronic waste, electrical waste, and automotive waste. 
     
     
         10 . The construct of  claim 1 , wherein said materials are one of the following: recycled thermoplastics, thermoset plastics, and non-plastic materials. 
     
     
         11 . The construct of  claim 1 , wherein said materials directly reduced from a grind-state to one or more of the following states: film-state, sheet-state, plate-state, laminate film-state, laminate sheet-state, laminate plate-state, 
     
     
         12 . The construct of  claim 1 , wherein said materials are reinforced via fibers, tensioned during the manufacture of said composite, or tensioned during the manufacture of said composite. 
     
     
         13 . A method of making a thermoformed structural-composite construct comprising the steps of:
 providing a first material having a first melting pointing, a first thermal mass, a first thermal energy density, a first thermal-energy gradient, and a first structural integrity,   providing a second material having a second melting pointing, a second thermal mass, a second thermal energy density, a second thermal-energy gradient, and a second structural integrity,   combining under compressed pressure and heat said first and second materials between a first matched die and a second matched die, said combination uses the differential between said first and second melting points, thermal-mass, thermal-energy-densities, thermal-energy gradients and structural integrities in the individual near-melt-point range vis-a-vis pressure-heat ratio for said first material but does not approach the melting point for the second material,   producing a third composite material thermoformed from merged compression of said first material with said second material, said third composite material thermoformed without distinct shear planes,   configuring the third composite material for a predetermined use.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said materials include one of the following: phase-separated mixtures, immiscible blends, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), or poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said materials include polymer originating from waste streams of various origins, cellulose acetate materials from cigarette filters, or packaging fillings. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said materials include co-mingled material 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said materials include one of the following: High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Vinyl/Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), High impact polystyrene (HIPS), polylactide (PLA), Nylon, Polycarbonate (PC), Acrylic, or Fiberglass. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said materials include one of the following: thermoset epoxies, thermoset polyesters, thermoset silicones, thermoset phenolics, vulcanized rubber, polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride (bakelite), cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), Polyurethane (PU), carbon fiber, flame retardant plastics, fiber reinforced plastics. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said materials are one of the following: glass filled plastics, cured silicone, mixed plastics, metals, paper, or shape memory plastics (SMP). 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said materials possess one or more of the following: pigments, inks, adhesives, chlorine, styrene, and Olefin. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said materials include engineered grade plastics recovered from electronic waste, electrical waste, and automotive waste. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said materials are one of the following: recycled thermoplastics, thermoset plastics, and non-plastic materials. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said materials directly reduced from a grind-state to one or more of the following states: film-state, sheet-state, plate-state, laminate film-state, laminate sheet-state, laminate plate-state, 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said materials are reinforced via fibers, tensioned during the manufacture of said composite, or tensioned during the manufacture of said composite. 
     
     
         25 . A thermoformed structural-composite construct made by a process comprising the steps of:
 providing a first material having a first melting pointing, a first thermal mass, a first thermal energy density, a first thermal-energy gradient, and a first structural integrity,   providing a second material having a second melting pointing, a second thermal mass, a second thermal energy density, a second thermal-energy gradient, and a second structural integrity,   combining under compression between a first matched die and a second matched die to create pressure and heat applied to said first and second materials, said combination uses the differential between said first and second melting points, thermal-mass, thermal-energy-densities, thermal-energy gradients and structural integrities in the individual near-melt-point range vis-a-vis pressure-heat ratio for first said material but does not approach the melting point for the second material;   producing a third composite material thermoformed from the merged compression of said first material with said second material, said third composite material thermoformed without distinct shear planes, and   configuring the third composite material for a predetermined use.   
     
     
         26 . The construct prepared according to  claim 25  wherein said materials include one of the following: phase-separated mixtures, immiscible blends, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), or poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). 
     
     
         27 . The construct prepared according to  claim 25  wherein said materials include polymer originating from waste streams of various origins, cellulose acetate materials from cigarette filters, or packaging fillings. 
     
     
         28 . The construct prepared according to  claim 25  wherein said materials include co-mingled material 
     
     
         29 . The construct prepared according to  claim 25  wherein said materials include one of the following: High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Vinyl/Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), High impact polystyrene (HIPS), polylactide (PLA), Nylon, Polycarbonate (PC), Acrylic, or Fiberglass. 
     
     
         30 . The construct prepared according to  claim 25  wherein said materials include one of the following: thermoset epoxies, thermoset polyesters, thermoset silicones, thermoset phenolics, vulcanized rubber, polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride (bakelite), cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), Polyurethane (PU), carbon fiber, flame retardant plastics, fiber reinforced plastics. 
     
     
         31 . The construct prepared according to  claim 25  wherein said materials are one of the following: glass filled plastics, cured silicone, mixed plastics, metals, paper, or shape memory plastics (SMP). 
     
     
         32 . The construct prepared according to  claim 25  wherein said materials possess one or more of the following: pigments, inks, adhesives, chlorine, styrene, and Olefin. 
     
     
         33 . The construct prepared according to  claim 25  wherein said materials include engineered grade plastics recovered from electronic waste, electrical waste, and automotive waste. 
     
     
         34 . The construct prepared according to  claim 25  wherein said materials are one of the following: recycled thermoplastics, thermoset plastics, and non-plastic materials. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said materials directly reduced from a grind-state to one or more of the following states: film-state, sheet-state, plate-state, laminate film-state, laminate sheet-state, laminate plate-state, 
     
     
         36 . The construct prepared according to  claim 25  wherein said materials are reinforced via fibers, tensioned during the manufacture of said composite, or tensioned during the manufacture of said composite.