Thermoplastic composite pultrusion

Ahmed, R, Joshi, S. C. and Lam, Y. C. (2004), Three-dimensional FE/NCV modelling of thermoplastic composites pultrusion . Journal ofThermoplastic Composite Materials, 17, 447-462. 

Recendy, storm doors have been constmcted of advanced thermoplastic composites. Stampable, glass-mat reinforced polypropylene sheet is used to create a high strength outer skin. These compression molded skins are welded together using a friction or ultrasonic process then injection molded with a polyurethane foam core to produce an insulated structure. New technology for window frames incorporate the pultrusion of frame channels to produce a thermoset composite channel that can be filled with fiber glass for further insulation enhancement (12,31,33,34,48,49,54—56,60—67). 

This paper will describe briefly the pultrusion process developed and built locally, its reliability or performance, the quality of prepreg combined with the controlling parameters and finally the preliminary results on its usage as laminates and reinforcement in thermoplastic composites. 

Pultrusion process development of a graphite reinforced PEI thermoplastic composite. 4tb annual Conf. of Reinforced... 

Dow, using Fulcrum thermoplastic composites technology and Isoplast thermoplastic polyurethanes, have developed a new thermoplastic pultrusion process. 

Furthermore, the production of complex shaped parts is still a challenge for the composite industry. Parts with relatively simple geometries are commonplace today for reinforced thermoplastic composites the pultrusion of simple sections and the compression molding of parts with simple curvature are examples of well-developed technologies. But the production of complex three-dimensional parts usually requires injection or compression molding. Assembly technologies used to obtain complex geometries are sometimes inefficient and costly. 

Wilson, M.L., Backley, J.D., Dickerson, G.E., Johnson, G.S., Taylor, E.C. and Covington III, E.W. (1989) Pultrusion process development of a graphite reinforced polyetherimide thermoplastic composite. Proceedings of the 44th Annual Conference, Society of Plastics Industry, Reinforced Plastics / Composite Institute, Dallas, Texas, USA, February 10, Paper Session 8-D. 

Taylor, S.R. and Thomas, W.M. (1990) High speed pultrusion of thermoplastic composites. Proceedings of the 22nd International SAMPE Technical Conference, Anaheim, California, USA, November 6-8, Vol. 22, pp. 78-87. 

The selection of a suitable thermoplastic matrix material mostly depends on the desired mechanical properties and the desired long-term service temperature. Depending on the application area, there are other decision criteria known from thermoset matrix materials, which can be of major interest, for example the chemical resistance or the water absorption properties. In contrast, thermoplastic composites are normally featured with an improved toughness compared to their thermoset competitors. Table 8.2 gives an overview on properties of different common polymers which are used for the pultrusion process. 

Kerbiriou, V. and Friedrich, K., Pultrusion of thermoplastic composites Process optimization and mathematical modeling . Journal of Composites Materials, 12,... 

Larock, J. A. and Hahn, H. T., Pultrusion processes for thermoplastic composites . Journal of Thermoplastic Composite Materials, 2, 216-228, 1989. 

Pultrusion is mainly used to process glass-, aramide-, carbon fiber rovings with a wide variety of thermoset matrices such as polyester-, vinylester- and epoxy-resins [10]. The processing speed can be up to 5 m/min. In addition, thermoplastic matrix based composite pultrusion has been developed over the last 20 years. Due to the higher viscosity of thermoplastics in compaxison to thermosets, the processing speed is about ten times slower in terms of thermoplastic pultrusion [11]. 

Figure 1.5. Diagrams of different pultusion processes (a) nonreactive pultrusion of thermoplastic preforms (b) reactive pultrusion for thermoset composites and (c) reactive pultrusion for thermoplastic composites [20]...

Bechtold G, Wiedmer S and Friedrich K (2002) Pultrusion of thermoplastic composites - new developments and modeling studies, J Tkermopl Compos Mater 15 443-465,... 

Composite processing uses specialized methods. For thermoplastics, glass mat thermoplastic (GMT) is the main method but prepreg, lay-up, tape winding, pultrusion are also used to produce composites. SMC/BMC are the main processes for thermosets but lay-up is currently used for large parts and prepregs are used for high-tech parts. 

The ring opening polymerization of cyclic monomers that yield thermoplastic polymers of interest in composite processing is reviewed. In addition, the chemistry, kinetics, and rheology of the ring opening polymerization of caprolactam to nylon 6 are presented. Finally, the rheo-kinetics modelsfor polycaprolactam are applied to the composite process of reaction injection pultrusion. 

Among the more common thermoplastics from ring opening polymerization of interest in composite processing are polylactams, polyethers, polyacetals, and polycycloolefins. It has also been shown that polycarbonates can be produced from cyclic carbonates [22], Anionic ring opening polymerization of caprolactam to nylon 6 is uniquely suited to form a thermoplastic matrix for fiber-reinforced composites, specifically by the reaction injection pultrusion process [23-25]. The fast reaction kinetics with no by-products and the crystalline... 

Epsilon Composites, Gaillan, France—pultrude carbon fiber tubulars and profiles with 12 pultrusion lines. Have capability of pultruding thermoplastics including PEEK. 

K.V. de Velde, and P. Kiekens, Thermoplastic pultrusion of natural fibre reinforced composites. Compos. Struct. 54, 355-360 (2001). 

Recently, new compounding methods have been investigated to produce long, natural fiber-reinforced thermoplastic pellets and improve composite mechanical properties [31, 32]. For example, pellets have been formed by melt impregnation of continuous natural fiber yarns by pultrusion followed by cooling and chopping. Another method involves commingling of continuous forms of natural and synthetic fibers that are then heated, consolidated, and chopped. 

T Asai, T Ohara, T Tanaka, S Hashizume. Method of Manufacturing Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic Prepregs. U.S. Patent 5529652, June 25, 1996. J-M Charrier, PJ Bates, D Guillon, G Zanella. The Effect of Pin Shape on Spreading Roving Filaments for a Thermoplastic Pultrusion Process. 45th Annual Conference, Composites Institute, SPI, Washington DC, 1990, 18-A, pp 1-4. 

Michaeli, W. and Jiirs, D. (1996) Thermoplastic pull-braiding Pultrusion profiles with braided fiber lay-up and thermoplastic matrix system (PP), Composites, 27A(1), 3-7. 

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