COMPOSITE STRUCTURED LAMINATE
A composite laminate includes a first layer of a fabric material, a second layer of the fabric material, and an internal layer disposed between the first layer of the fabric material and the second layer of the fabric material. The internal layer includes a polymer mixture with one or more polymers, graphene, and a binder and a plurality of fibers dispersed in the polymer mixture.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/199,357, filed Dec. 21, 2020, entitled “COMPOSITE STRUCTURED LAMINATE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE,” which is hereby incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThis disclosure generally relates to laminates, and more specifically to a composite structured laminate.
BACKGROUNDStructural panels are used across various industries, but conventionally known approaches to the design and manufacture of such panels provide limited utility particularly with respect to the outward facing surface materials (sometimes referred to as “skins”). In many cases, there is a tradeoff of strength and durability for reduced production costs as illustrated by the conventional panels and skins described below.
Structural Insulated Panels (“SIP”) are manufactured panels having a plywood/oriented strand board (“OSB”) adhered to either a foam or honeycomb core. These SIPs are used in the housing industry and some commercial buildings though significant problems arise from such use.
Composite Sandwich Panels are custom fabricated and hand laid in the aircraft and wind turbine industries. These kinds of panels are very expensive—relying on hand-placing matting and fibers, and in some cases aluminum, to make facers or skins. While these skins are more moisture resistant than those used in SIPs, they are too expensive and too slow to produce for practical adoption in other industries including the housing industry.
Glass Mat Technology (GMT) reuse plastic waste products. The construction industry can use these recycled plastics in large volumes. GMT uses composite laminates to adhere to foam or honeycomb to produce small lightweight panels for rooftop installations. Composite laminates have been conventionally used in the automobile industry to make head liners. They typically use polypropylene and fiberglass. Some manufacturers use ½-inch long fibers and others use 2-inch long fibers. The weight per square foot of such laminates is around 0.1 pounds.
Other attempts at creating a structural laminate have been made. For example, numerous woven and non-woven fiberglass “sheathing” has been solidified in other processes to make a structural laminate. These have 0 degree fibers that run parallel to the machine direction and 90 degree fibers that run across the width of the machine. The ability to also have strength in the 45 and −45 degree direction, however, incurs additional costs and slows down the manufacturing process.
SUMMARYIn view of these conventionally known materials and the shortcomings thereof, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a composite laminate that is cost-efficient and time-efficient to create while also maintaining sufficient protection and quality to make possible its use in the housing industry. For example, a composite laminate in accordance with the present disclosure may be used to create a structural panel that eliminates the problems wood SIPs have. As the laminates are not organic (wood), there is no “food” for mold to grow on. Moreover, the inclusion of graphene into the laminate according to various embodiments of the present disclosure further enhances strength and resilience.
Additionally, composite structural laminates produced according to embodiments disclosed herein have costs per square foot that are approximately 40% cheaper than those of other, similarly-purposed laminates. Conventional laminates have several distinct disadvantages: (1) a slower rate of production; (2) loose fiberglass that may get into a person's hands; (3) in-plane stress and stiffness are equal in all directions (0°, +/−30°, +/−45°, +/−60° and 90° with 0° being the machine direction).
To get near equal stress and stiffness in multiple directions requires meshes with 0°, 45°, and 90° fibers, which results in significantly reduced production speeds.
The processes and methods as embodied in the present disclosure are designed to consolidate polypropylene and fiberglass to levels not seen in the GMT, or other, processes. Numerous conventional processes have been investigated, but such processes result in less consolidation and short fibers which cannot achieve the strength of a composite structural laminate according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
In an embodiment, a composite laminate includes a first layer of a fabric material, a second layer of the fabric material, and an internal layer disposed between the first layer of the fabric material and the second layer of the fabric material. The internal layer includes a polymer mixture with one or more polymers, graphene, and a binder and a plurality of fibers dispersed in the polymer mixture.
Certain embodiments may include none, some, or all of the above technical advantages. One or more other technical advantages may be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the figures, descriptions, and claims included herein.
The following figures are included to illustrate certain aspects of the present disclosure, and should not be viewed as exclusive embodiments. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to one having ordinary skill in the art and the benefit of this disclosure.
It should be understood at the outset that, although example implementations of embodiments of the disclosure are illustrated below, the present disclosure may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the example implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below. Additionally, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
The present disclosure relates generally to the composition and the production of a composite structural laminate.
In certain embodiments, a composite structural laminate comprises scrim (e.g., scrim layers 502a,b of
In some embodiments, the compounded polymer mixture may further comprise an ultraviolet (UV) radiation protection component, which may be any material known in the art for reducing the impact of exposure to UV radiation. In such embodiments, the relative proportion of the described components may be substantially: 96.35% polypropylene component, 1.0-5% graphene component, 1.5-3% multicompatible binder, and 0.15-0.5% UV radiation protection component.
For certain embodiments, the polymer component may be polypropylene. This polypropylene may be purchased in any form conventionally known in the art. Polypropylene having a 10 to 60 Melt Flow Rate (MFR), such as PP1024E4 polypropylene from ExxonMobil. Similarly, the graphene component may include any size of graphene nanoplatelets. In some embodiments, the graphene component isXGS C-300 graphene nanoplatelets. The multicompatible binder may be any material or substance known in the art to promote adhesion of polymers to fiberglass. For example, in some embodiments, the multicompatible binder may be Priex 20097.
To create the compounded polymer mixture, the various constituents may be placed in a compounding vat. Within the compounding vat, the constituents may be agitated and heated until the contents of the compounding vat are substantially fluid. Once in this substantially fluid state, the mixed components may then be passed through an extruder to form pellets. The pellets may then be machined down or pulverized to 20 mesh particles.
One embodiment of a method of fabricating the composite structural laminate is depicted in
Continuing with
A second outer scrim layer may then be placed over the first outer scrim layer via a second scrim roller 50 such that the fiberglass pieces and compounded polypropylene mixture are disposed between the first and second outer scrim layers. The combined layers may then be run through a series of rollers 60. The series of rollers may include three roller pairs 61, 62, and 63 wherein each pair comprises an upper roller and a lower roller. The combined layers are passed between the upper and lower rollers to apply pressure to both the first and second outer scrim layers thereby forming a completed composite structural laminate.
As shown in
The composite structural laminate and methods of production disclosed herein improve upon the conventional processes by incorporating graphene and both long and continuous fibers directly into the laminate. Embodiments of the presently disclosed processes are designed to create up to a 9.5 foot wide laminate at the rate up to 25 feet per minute on a single machine. There are no known conventional methodologies with this rate of production.
Referring to
Projected strengths of composite structural laminates produced according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure are between 12,000 to 22,000 psi tensile and a stiffness range of 800,000 to 1,000,000 psi. The materials being used, and the process of melting the products together, create an inert product, and the product does not give off gas volatile organic compounds (“VOCs”).
The amount of polypropylene and fiber used may be varied to produce laminates having different weights as may be needed to satisfy project-specific requirements, regulations, or restrictions. To vary the amount of polypropylene and/or fiber, the speed at which the individual component materials are applied to the bottom scrim layer may be adjusted while maintaining a constant speed for the conveyor system that ultimately results in the combination of the materials to make the laminate.
With respect to the application of polypropylene, in embodiments wherein rollers are used to deliver the polypropylene to the scrim, the speed of those rollers may be adjusted to meet the target polypropylene weight. Similarly, the speed at which the fiber is cut, or chopped, and delivered (via rollers or otherwise) may also be adjusted to meet the target fiber weight. Furthermore, the speeds of the respective delivery systems may be adjusted independently to provide greater variability of polypropylene and fiber weights in the laminate.
In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the produced, consolidated laminate has a weight of 1,200 grams/sq. meter. Such a laminate may be composed of approximately 40-60% polypropylene and a corresponding 40-60% fiber wherein the respective percentages are relative to the total combined weight of polypropylene and fiber. For example, in the 1,200 grams/sq. meter laminate described previously, the laminate may contain approximately 650 grams/sq. meter of polypropylene (−54%) and 550 grams/sq. meter of fiber (−46%).
In other embodiments, laminates may be made having weights of 800 to 2,400 grams/sq. meter. In such embodiments, the laminate composition may include similar respective percentages of polypropylene and fiber as described above.
Another embodiment of a method of fabricating the composite structural laminate of this disclosure is depicted in
Each scrim 502a,b is a fabric material that may improves adhesion to, for example, adhesives, paint, and coatings. An exemplary scrim 502a,b is fabric that includes one or more of polyester, nylon, polyethylene, or similar. The top scrim layer 502a and bottom scrim layer 502b may be the same or different fabric materials. For example, the scrim rollers 20 and 50 of
The polymer mixture 506 includes polymer 512 and one or more of graphene 514, binder 516, and ultraviolet (UV) protectant 518. The polymer 512 may be any appropriate polymer, such as polypropylene, high density polypropylene, high density polyethylene, or the like. In some embodiments, the polymer 512 has a Melt Flow Rate (MFR) in a range from ten to sixty. A MFR is a measure of the flow of the polymer 512. The MFR of the polymer 512 may be determined, for example, according to established standards, such as ASTM D1238 and ISO 1133.
The graphene 514 may include any size and shape of graphene nanoplatelets. In some embodiments, the graphene 514 may be graphene nanoplatelets with a diameter of less than two micrometers and a thickness of in the range of one to tens of nanometers. The surface area of the graphene nanoplatelets may be in a range from about 100 to about 500 sq. meter/gram. In some embodiments, the surface area of the graphene nanoplatelets is about 300 sq. meter/gram.
The binder 516 may be any material or substance that promotes adhesion of the polymer 512 to the fibers 508. For example, in some embodiments, the binder 516 may be polypropylene grafted with maleic anhydride to improve adhesion between the polymer 512 and fibers 508. This binder 516 may be used to improve adhesion between a polypropylene polymer 512 and fibers 508. Another appropriate binder 516 may be selected for other types of polymer 512.
The UV protectant 518 may be any material that reduces the impact of exposure to UV radiation. For example, the UV protectant 518 may be any material that reflects and/or absorbs UV radiation to help prevent exposure to UV radiation or passage of UV radiation through the laminate 500.
The polymer mixture 506 may include at least 90% of the polymer 512, at least 1% of graphene 514, and at least 1% binder 516. In embodiments having the UV protectant 518, polymer mixture 506 may include at least 90% of the polymer 512, at least 1% of graphene 514, and at least 1% binder 516, and at least 0.15% of UV protectant 518. In some embodiments, the relative proportion of components of the polymer mixture 506 is: 92-97.5% polymer 512, 1.0-5% graphene 514, 1.5-3% binder 516, and 0-0.5% UV protectant 518.
The fibers 508 may be cut pieces of a fiberglass roving as described above with respect to
The composite structural laminate 500 may have a tensile strength of between 12,000 to 22,000 psi tensile. The composite structural laminate 500 may have a stiffness range of 800,000 to 1,000,000 psi. These beneficial mechanical properties may be achieved at least in part based on the improved distribution of the fibers 508 that are dispersed within the polymer mixture 506, as described both above with respect to fibers 508 extending in all directions (e.g., 0 degrees, 10 degrees, 17 degrees, 23 degrees, 33 degrees, 36 degrees 40 degrees, 45 degrees, etc.) in order to create a pseudo-anisotropic product and below with respect to
Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems, apparatuses, and methods described herein. The components of the systems and apparatuses may be integrated or separated. Moreover, the operations of the systems and apparatuses may be performed by more, fewer, or other components. The methods may include more, fewer, or other steps. Additionally, steps may be performed in any suitable order. Additionally, operations of the systems and apparatuses may be performed using any suitable logic. As used in this document, “each” refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set.
Herein, “or” is inclusive and not exclusive, unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Therefore, herein, “A or B” means “A, B, or both,” unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Moreover, “and” is both joint and several, unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Therefore, herein, “A and B” means “A and B, jointly or severally,” unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context.
The scope of this disclosure encompasses all changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications to the example embodiments described or illustrated herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend. The scope of this disclosure is not limited to the example embodiments described or illustrated herein. Moreover, although this disclosure describes and illustrates respective embodiments herein as including particular components, elements, feature, functions, operations, or steps, any of these embodiments may include any combination or permutation of any of the components, elements, features, functions, operations, or steps described or illustrated anywhere herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend. Furthermore, reference in the appended claims to an apparatus or system or a component of an apparatus or system being adapted to, arranged to, capable of, configured to, enabled to, operable to, or operative to perform a particular function encompasses that apparatus, system, component, whether or not it or that particular function is activated, turned on, or unlocked, as long as that apparatus, system, or component is so adapted, arranged, capable, configured, enabled, operable, or operative. Additionally, although this disclosure describes or illustrates particular embodiments as providing particular advantages, particular embodiments may provide none, some, or all of these advantages.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the disclosure (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better explain the disclosure and does not pose a limitation on the scope of claims.
Claims
1. A composite laminate, comprising:
- a first layer of a fabric material;
- a second layer of the fabric material; and
- an internal layer disposed between the first layer of the fabric material and the second layer of the fabric material, wherein the internal layer comprises: a polymer mixture comprising one or more polymers, graphene, and a binder; and a plurality of fibers randomly dispersed in the polymer mixture.
2. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the graphene comprises a plurality of graphene nanoplatelets.
3. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the one or more polymers has a melt flow rate (MFR) in a range from ten to sixty.
4. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the one or more polymers is polypropylene.
5. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the polymer mixture has a relative composition by weight of at least 90% of the polymer, at least 1% of the graphene, and at least 1% of the binder.
6. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the polymer mixture further comprises a UV protectant.
7. The composite laminate of claim 6, wherein the polymer mixture has a relative composition by weight of at least 90% of the polymer, at least 1% of the graphene, at least 1% of the binder, and at least 0.15% of the UV protectant.
8. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the composite laminate has a tensile strength of at least 12,000 psi.
9. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the composite laminate has a stiffness range of approximately 800,000 to 1,000,000 psi.
10. The composite laminate of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fibers comprises fiberglass pieces randomly distributed within the polymer mixture.
11. An internal layer for use in a laminate, the internal layer comprising:
- a polymer mixture comprising one or more polymers, graphene, and a binder; and
- a plurality of fibers randomly dispersed in the polymer mixture.
12. The internal layer of claim 11, wherein the graphene comprises a plurality of graphene nanoplatelets.
13. The internal layer of claim 11, wherein the one or more polymers has a melt flow rate (MFR) in a range from ten to sixty.
14. The internal layer of claim 11, wherein the one or more polymers is polypropylene.
15. The internal layer of claim 11, wherein the polymer mixture has a relative composition by weight of at least 90% of the polymer, at least 1% of the graphene, and at least 1% of the binder.
16. The internal layer of claim 11, wherein the polymer mixture further comprises a UV protectant.
17. The internal layer of claim 16, wherein the polymer mixture has a relative composition by weight of at least 90% of the polymer, at least 1% of the graphene, at least 1% of the binder, and at least 0.15% of the UV protectant.
18. The internal layer of claim 11, wherein the laminate has a tensile strength of at least 12,000 psi.
19. The internal layer of claim 11, wherein the laminate has a stiffness range of approximately 800,000 to 1,000,000 psi.
20. The internal layer of claim 11, wherein the plurality of fibers comprises fiberglass pieces disposed at randomly distributed angles within the polymer mixture.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 20, 2021
Publication Date: Jun 23, 2022
Inventor: Samuel D. Shannon (Hardin, TX)
Application Number: 17/645,252