Fiber reinforced thermoset composites and methods of making

Abstract

Methods of making a fiber-reinforced composite are described. The methods may include applying a sizing composition to a plurality of fibers to make sized fibers, where the sizing composition may include at least one of a curing agent or an accelerator for a resin composition. The sized fibers may be contacted with the resin composition to form a resin-fiber amalgam, where the resin composition includes 50 wt. % or less of a total amount of the curing agent and the accelerator that is also present on the sized fibers. The resin-fiber amalgam may then be cured to form the fiber-reinforced composite.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A treated fiber comprising:
 an organic or inorganic fiber;   a curing agent contacting a surface of the organic or inorganic fiber; and   an accelerator contacting the surface of the organic or inorganic fiber.   
     
     
         2 . The treated fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the organic or inorganic fiber is a glass fiber. 
     
     
         3 . The treated fiber of  claim 2 , wherein the glass fiber is made of glass selected from the group consisting of E-glass, A-glass, C-glass, S-glass, ECR-glass, and T-glass. 
     
     
         4 . The treated fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the curing agent comprises one or more epoxy resin curing agents selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic amine, a cycloaliphatic amine, an aromatic amine, a polyamide, an amidoamine, a polyol, an acid anhydride, dicyandiamide, guanidine, and a formaldehyde resin. 
     
     
         5 . The treated fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the accelerator comprises one or more epoxy resin curing accelerators selected from the group consisting of an alcohol, a carboxylic acid, an amine, a urea compound, and a Lewis acid. 
     
     
         6 . The treated fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the treated fiber further comprises a film former. 
     
     
         7 . The treated fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the treated fiber is operable for incorporation in a fiber-reinforced composite. 
     
     
         8 . The treated fiber of  claim 7 , wherein the fiber-reinforced composite is an epoxy-containing composite. 
     
     
         9 . The treated fiber of  claim 8 , wherein the epoxy-containing composite is formed from an epoxy resin selected from the group consisting of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F, an aliphatic epoxy resin, a cycloaliphatic epoxy resin, a glycidyl epoxy resin, a glycidylamine epoxy resin, an epoxy phenol novolac, and an epoxy cresol novolac. 
     
     
         10 . The treated fiber of  claim 9 , wherein the epoxy resin comprises a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A. 
     
     
         11 . A plurality of treated fibers comprising:
 at least two different types of fibers selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, mineral fibers, carbon fibers, and organic polymer fibers;   a curing agent contacting surfaces of at least one of the at least two different types of fibers; and   an accelerator contacting the surfaces of at least one of the at least two different types of fibers.   
     
     
         12 . The plurality of treated fibers of  claim 11 , wherein the at least two different types of fibers comprise glass fibers and organic polymer fibers. 
     
     
         13 . The plurality of treated fibers of  claim 11 , wherein the curing agent comprises one or more epoxy resin curing agents selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic amine, a cycloaliphatic amine, an aromatic amine, a polyamide, an amidoamine, a polyol, an acid anhydride, dicyandiamide, guanidine, and a formaldehyde resin. 
     
     
         14 . The plurality of treated fibers of  claim 11 , wherein the accelerator comprises one or more epoxy resin curing accelerators selected from the group consisting of an alcohol, a carboxylic acid, an amine, a urea compound, and a Lewis acid. 
     
     
         15 . The plurality of treated fibers of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the at least two different types of fibers further comprise a film former. 
     
     
         16 . The plurality of treated fibers of  claim 11 , wherein the at least two different types of fibers are operable for incorporation in a fiber-reinforced composite. 
     
     
         17 . The plurality of treated fibers of  claim 16 , wherein the fiber-reinforced composite is an epoxy-containing composite. 
     
     
         18 . The plurality of treated fibers of  claim 17 , wherein the epoxy-containing composite is formed from an epoxy resin selected from the group consisting of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F, an aliphatic epoxy resin, a cycloaliphatic epoxy resin, a glycidyl epoxy resin, a glycidylamine epoxy resin, an epoxy phenol novolac, and an epoxy cresol novolac. 
     
     
         19 . The plurality of treated fibers of  claim 18 , wherein the epoxy resin comprises a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A.