Method and apparatus for aligning discontinuous fibers

• Main Authors: DRZAL; LAWRENCE T, VYAKARNAM; MURTY N
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 08.12.1998
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; BRAIDING; COTTON-WOOL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS,NON-WOVEN FABRICS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; KNITTING; LACE-MAKING; MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARYMATERIAL; NON-WOVEN FABRICS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TEXTILES; TRANSPORTING; TRIMMINGS; WADDING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A method and apparatus for aligning discontinuous fibers (F 101, 212) is described. A feeder apparatus (20, 120, 220, 220A) is used to align the fibers in a horizontal plane for feeding to the aligning apparatus (40, 140, 240, 240A) providing an electrical (E) field to orient the fibers in one reselected direction. A support or conveyor (70, 170, 70) receives the aligned fibers. The method and apparatus provides composite products having improved physical properties because of the alignment. The fibers can be of different lengths and a mixture of different types to make composites with controlled microstructure and properties. The composite materials can be in the form of non-woven, discontinuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic stampable sheets with controlled fiber orientation distribution. The composites are useful for a variety of goods.