High strength, long durability structural fabric/seam system
View Patent ↗A high strength, high modulus structural fabric product and the method of manufacturing the product are disclosed. The incorporation of a specific fiber/fabric treatment coupled with a resin impregnation and coating process produces a composite material. This composite material comprises high strength and modulus fibers embedded in and linked to a matrix. The resulting fabric product is useable in the formation of seamed structures, which carry and distribute high-level loads under extreme environmental conditions.
1. A fabric product comprising:
a fabric layer having a plurality of high strength and high modulus fibers, the plurality of fibers impregnated by an impregnation compound with the fabric layer coated on each side with the impregnation compound, where the impregnation compound is derived from a mixture comprising:
a pre-polymer comprises an isocynate having an equivalent weight of 42, the pre-polymer having an isocynate content of 6.34;
a co-reactant curative having an equivalent weight of 230; and
a diluent, said diluent solvating the mixture of said pre-polymer and said curative,
and wherein said impregnation compound has a curative stoichiometry range of less than 85 percent,
wherein the high strength and high modulus fibers comprise at least one of aramid fibers or aromatic polyester fibers,
wherein the ratio of said curative to said pre-polymer is derived from the formula
6.34
×
0.75
×
230
42
=
parts
by
weight
of
curative
per
100
parts
of
pre
-
polymer
wherein the pre-polymer comprises an isocynate and where 6.34 is the isocynate content of the pre-polymer, 0.75 is the desired stoichiometry of the mixture, 230 is the equivalent weight of the curative and 42 is the equivalent weight of the isocynate.
2. The fabric product of claim 1 wherein said impregnation compound has a curative stoichiometry range of approximately 75 percent.
3. The fabric product of claim 1 wherein the pre-polymer comprises a urethane pre-polymer.
4. The fabric product of claim 1 wherein said diluent comprises a solvent.
5. The fabric product of claim 1 wherein the aramid fibers comprise polyaramid polyparaphenylene terephthalamide fibers.
6. The fabric product of claim 1 wherein the aromatic polyester fibers comprise polyester-polyarylate fibers.
7. A fabric product comprising at least one resin fabric piece, said resin fabric piece comprising:
a resin impregnated fabric layer comprising high strength and high modulus fibers and having a resin impregnated therein;
a first resin layer having a resin disposed on a first side of said resin impregnated fabric layer; and
a second resin layer having a resin disposed on a second side of said resin impregnated fabric layer, wherein the resin is derived from a mixture comprising:
a pre-polymer comprises an isocynate having an equivalent weight of 42, the pre-polymer having an isocynate content of 6.34;
a co-reactant curative having an equivalent weight of 230; and
a diluent, said diluent solvating the mixture of said pre-polymer and said curative,
and wherein said impregnation compound has a curative stoichiometry range of less than 85 percent,
wherein the high strength and high modulus fibers comprise at least one of aramid fibers or aromatic polyester fibers;
wherein said resin has a ratio of said curative to said pre-polymer in accordance with the formula
6.34
×
0.75
×
230
42
=
parts
by
weight
of
curative
per
100
parts
of
pre
-
polymer
where the pre-polymer comprises an isocynate and where 6.34 is the isocynate content of the pre-polymer, 0.75 is the desired stoichiometry of the mixture, 230 is the equivalent weight of the curative and 42 is the equivalent weight of the isocynate.
8. The fabric product of claim 7 wherein said resin has a curative stoichiometry range of approximately 75 percent.
9. The fabric product of claim 7 further comprising a second resin fabric piece disposed along a surface of said second resin layer.
10. The fabric product of claim 7 wherein the aramid fibers comprise polyaramid polyparaphenylene terephthalamide fibers.
11. The fabric product of claim 7 wherein the aromatic polyester fibers comprise polyester-polyarylate fibers.