Surface Engineering of Thermoplastic Materials and Tooling

Abstract

A prepared mold tool having a thermoplastic surface layer polymer coating on the mold surface of the mold tool or prepared prepreg having a thermoplastic surface layer polymer coating on the surface of the thermoplastic fiber reinforced prepreg are described that enhance first ply laydown of thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite prepregs onto mold tools for prepreg forming or in situ tape placement. Resulting thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite parts from a thermoplastic fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite material having structural reinforcement fibers with one or more high performance polymers, and a thermoplastic surface layer polymer coating which forms a polymer blend with the high performance polymers of the thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite material thereby imparting improved properties, and methods for making and using same, are provided herein.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A tool for automated tape laying of in situ thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite materials comprising:
 a non-porous solid metal mold tool having a molding surface; and   a thermoplastic surface layer polymer; and   a release film releasably interposed between the mold surface of the mold tool and the thermoplastic surface layer polymer.   
     
     
         2 . The tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the mold surface of the mold tool has a texture. 
     
     
         3 . The tool according to  claim 2 , wherein the texture of the mold surface of the mold tool is created by sandblasting with 40-120 grit glass beads. 
     
     
         4 . The tool according to  claim 2 , wherein the texture of the mold surface of the mold tool has a mean spacing of profile elements of 0.07 μm or greater and a maximum height of profile of 5.0 or greater. 
     
     
         5 . The tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic surface layer polymer is chosen from PEK, PEKK, PEEK or blends thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic surface layer polymer further comprises one or more multi-functional agents. 
     
     
         7 . The tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic surface layer polymer is a discontinuous plurality of well fused thermoplastic particles releasably adhered to the release film. 
     
     
         8 . The tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic surface layer polymer is applied by plasma spray. 
     
     
         9 . The tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the non-porous metal mold tool having a mold surface further has texture; wherein the release film adheres to the mold surface of the mold tool; and wherein the thermoplastic surface layer polymer coating comprises a plurality of thermoplastic surface layer polymer particles applied by plasma spraying;
 wherein the thermoplastic surface layer polymer coating is a discontinuous plurality of beads that are well fused thermoplastic particles releasably adhered to the release film.   
     
     
         10 . The tool according to  claim 9  wherein the texture of the mold surface of the mold tool has a mean spacing of profile elements 0.07 μm or greater and a maximum height of profile about 5.0 or greater. 
     
     
         11 . The tool according to  claim 9  wherein the thermoplastic surface layer polymer particle has a diameter D 90  size of 90 to 180 μm before plasma spraying. 
     
     
         12 . A prepreg for automated tape laying of in situ thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite materials comprising:
 a thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite material having a first surface and a second surface; and   a thermoplastic surface layer polymer on at least the first surface.   
     
     
         13 . The prepreg according to  claim 12 , wherein the prepreg comprises a thermoplastic surface layer polymer on the first surface and the second surface. 
     
     
         14 . A method for preparing a mold tool able to accept a first ply laydown of thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite material for automated tape laying of in situ thermoplastic composite materials comprising:
 providing a non-porous metal mold tool having a mold surface;   applying a texture to the mold surface of the mold tool;   applying a release film to the texture on the mold surface of the mold tool;   introducing a plurality of thermoplastic surface layer polymer particles to a plasma spray gun; and   plasma spraying the thermoplastic surface layer polymer particles onto the release film on the mold tool during in situ tape laydown of a thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite material.   
     
     
         15 . The method for preparing a mold tool according to  claim 14  wherein the thermoplastic surface layer polymer particles introduced to the plasma spray gun is PEKK particles having a diameter D 90  size of 90-180 μm before plasma spraying. 
     
     
         16 . The method for preparing a mold tool according to  claim 14  further comprising applying heat to the molding tool after application of the thermoplastic surface layer polymer to anneal or crystallize the thermoplastic surface layer polymer. 
     
     
         17 . A method of automated tape laying of in situ thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite material comprising:
 providing a non-porous mold tool having a mold surface;   applying a release film to the mold surface of the mold tool;   introducing a plurality of thermoplastic surface layer polymer particles to a plasma spray gun;   plasma spraying the thermoplastic surface layer polymer particles on the release film to form a thermoplastic surface layer polymer coating on the mold tool during in situ tape laydown of a first layer of thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite material having a first surface in contact with the thermoplastic surface layer polymer coating and a second surface;   plasma spraying the thermoplastic surface layer polymer particles on the second surface of the first layer of thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite materials during the in-situ tape laydown of a subsequent layer of thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite material having a first surface and a second surface to form a thermoplastic polymer interlaminar layer between the second surface of the first layer of thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite material and the first surface of the subsequent layer of thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite material; and   continued plasma spraying of thermoplastic surface layer polymer particles on the subsequent layer of thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite materials during the in situ tape laydown until desired number of layers of thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite material are applied to form a thermoplastic polymer interlaminar layer between each layer of thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite material.   
     
     
         18 . A thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite part created using a mold tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the resulting thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite part has enhanced surface properties. 
     
     
         19 . The thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite part of  claim 18  wherein the enhanced surface property is electrical conductivity.