System for producing a lightweight thermoplastic composite sheet

Abstract

A thermoplastic composite sheet may be composed of a polymer material matrix and a lightweight material that is disposed throughout the polymer material matrix. The polymer material matrix may extend continuously throughout a length, width, and thickness of the thermoplastic composite sheet. The polymer material matrix may be a fully polymerized thermoplastic material. The lightweight material may be fully saturated by the thermoplastic material of the polymer material matrix. The thermoplastic composite sheet may include between 50 and 99 weight percent of the thermoplastic material and between 1 and 50 weight percent of the lightweight material. The thermoplastic composite sheet may be free of reinforcing fibers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thermoplastic composite sheet comprising:
 a length;   a width; and   a thickness;   the thermoplastic composite sheet being composed of:
 a layer of a lightweight material that extends continuously throughout the length, width, and thickness of the composite sheet, the lightweight material having a density of between 0.1 and 1.0 g/cm 3 ; and 
 a polymer material matrix that is disposed throughout the layer of lightweight material so that a thermoplastic material of the polymer material matrix fully saturates the lightweight material, the thermoplastic material being formed of a resin applied to the layer of lightweight material and passed through an oven and between a lower belt and an upper belt of a double belt press mechanism along with the lightweight material to disperse the resin through the layer of lightweight material and thereby fully saturate the lightweight material and to polymerize the resin and form the thermoplastic material; 
   wherein the thermoplastic composite sheet comprises:
 the thermoplastic composite sheet includes between 50 and 99 weight percent of the thermoplastic material; and 
 the thermoplastic composite sheet includes between 1 and 50 weight percent of the lightweight material. 
   
     
     
         2 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 1 , wherein the composite sheet is substantially free of reinforcing fibers. 
     
     
         3 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 1 , wherein the lightweight material comprises hollow glass microspheres, perlite, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 1 , wherein the lightweight material includes a sizing composition having a coupling agent that promotes bonding between the polymer material and the lightweight material. 
     
     
         5 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material comprises nylon, polyolefin, PBT, PMMA, thermoplastic polyurethane, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material comprises polyolefins, polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polycarbonate (PC), polyphthalamide (PPA), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), PC/ABS, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), acetal (polyoxymethylene or POM), polyethyleneimine (PEI), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyacrylonitrile, copolyacrylonitriles including poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN), or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic composite sheet has a density of 1.0 gram per cubic centimeter or less. 
     
     
         8 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 1 , wherein the resin comprises polymer fibers that are configured to melt to enable the resin to be mixed with and dispersed throughout the layer of lightweight material. 
     
     
         9 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 1 , wherein the resin comprises monomers or oligomers that are polymerizable via the oven to form the polymer material matrix that is disposed throughout the layer of lightweight material. 
     
     
         10 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 9 , wherein the monomers or oligomers comprises lactams, lactones, cyclic olefins, cyclic butylene terephthalate (CBT), methyl methacrylate (MMA), precursors of thermoplastic polyurethane, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 10 , wherein the lactams comprise caprolactam, laurolactam, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 9 , wherein the lightweight material is dried to remove residual moisture from the lightweight material and a moisture-free gas is blown onto one or more surfaces of the layer of lightweight material to substantially prevent exposure of the monomers or oligomers to ambient moisture in a surrounding environment during application of the resin. 
     
     
         13 . A thermoplastic composite sheet comprising:
 a length;   a width; and   a thickness;   the thermoplastic composite sheet being composed of:
 a layer of a lightweight material that extends continuously throughout the length, width, and thickness of the composite sheet, the lightweight material having a density of between 0.1 and 1.0 g/cm 3 ; and 
 a polymer material matrix that is disposed throughout the layer of lightweight material so that a thermoplastic material of the polymer material matrix fully saturates the lightweight material; 
   wherein the thermoplastic composite sheet comprises:
 the thermoplastic composite sheet includes between 50 and 99 weight percent of the thermoplastic material; and 
 the thermoplastic composite sheet includes between 1 and 50 weight percent of the lightweight material. 
   
     
     
         14 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 13 , wherein the composite sheet is substantially free of reinforcing fibers. 
     
     
         15 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 13 , wherein the lightweight material comprises hollow glass microspheres, perlite, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 13 , wherein the lightweight material includes a sizing composition having a coupling agent that promotes bonding between the polymer material and the lightweight material. 
     
     
         17 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 13 , wherein the thermoplastic material comprises nylon, polyolefin, PBT, PMMA, thermoplastic polyurethane, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 13 , wherein the thermoplastic material comprises polyolefins, polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polycarbonate (PC), polyphthalamide (PPA), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), PC/ABS, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), acetal (polyoxymethylene or POM), polyethyleneimine (PEI), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyacrylonitrile, copolyacrylonitriles including poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN), or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 13 , wherein the resin comprises monomers or oligomers that are polymerizable via the oven to form the polymer material matrix that is disposed throughout the layer of lightweight material. 
     
     
         20 . The thermoplastic composite sheet of  claim 19 , wherein the monomers or oligomers comprises lactams, lactones, cyclic olefins, cyclic butylene terephthalate (CBT), methyl methacrylate (MMA), precursors of thermoplastic polyurethane, or mixtures thereof.