Load-bearing composite panels
The present invention provides load-bearing composite panels made by surrounding with a long fiber reinforced polyurethane an assembly containing one or more load-bearing members and a structural polyurethane sandwich composite. The inventive load-bearing composite panels may help provide stronger, lighter weight structural items such as vehicle floor panels, walls for mobile homes, roof modules, truck beds, truck trailer floors and the like.
1 . A load-bearing composite panel comprising:
a long fiber reinforced polyurethane surrounding an assembly comprising one or more load-bearing members and a structural polyurethane sandwich composite.
2 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises at least one fiber chosen from glass, flax, jute, sisal, polyamide, polyester, carbon and polyurethane fibers.
3 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises fibers having a length of more than about 3 mm.
4 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises fibers having a length of more than about 10 mm.
5 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises fibers having a length of from about 12 mm to about 75 mm.
6 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises from about 5 to about 75 wt. %, based on the weight of the long fiber reinforced polyurethane, of long fibers.
7 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises from about 10 to about 60 wt. %, based on the weight of the long fiber reinforced polyurethane, of long fibers.
8 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises from about 20 to about 50 wt. %, based on the weight of the long fiber reinforced polyurethane, of long fibers.
9 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises the reaction product of one or more isocyanates and one or more isocyanate-reactive components.
10 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 9 , wherein the isocyanate is chosen from ethylene diisocyanate, 1,4-tetramethylene diisocyanate, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, 1,12-dodecane diisocyanate, cyclobutane-1,3-diisocyanate, cyclohexane-1,3- and -1,4-diisocyanate, 1-isocyanato-3,3,5-trimethyl-5-isocyanatomethylcyclohexane, (isophorone diisocyanate), 2,4- and 2,6-hexahydrotoluene diisocyanate, dicyclohexylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate (hydrogenated MDI, or HMDI), 1,3- and 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate, 2,4- and 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (TDI), diphenylmethane-2,4′- and/or -4,4′-diisocyanate (MDI), naphthylene-1,5-diisocyanate, triphenylmethane-4,4′,4″-triisocyanate, polyphenyl-polymethylene-polyisocyanates, norbornane diisocyanates, m- and p-isocyanatophenyl sulfonylisocyanates, perchlorinated aryl polyisocyanates carbodiimide-modified polyisocyanates, urethane-modified polyisocyanates, allophanate-modified polyisocyanates, isocyanurate-modified polyisocyanates, urea-modified polyisocyanates, biuret-containing polyisocyanates and isocyanate-terminated prepolymers.
11 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 9 , wherein the isocyanate-reactive component is chosen from polyether polyols, polyester polyols, polythioether polyols, polyesteramides, hydroxyl-containing polyacetals, hydroxyl-containing aliphatic polycarbonates and mixtures thereof.
12 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 , wherein the load-bearing member comprises a material chosen from metal, plastic and wood.
13 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 , wherein the load-bearing member comprises a metal chosen from steel and aluminum.
14 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 , wherein the load-bearing member is chosen from tubes, rods, beams, slabs, plates, planks and stampings.
15 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 , wherein the structural polyurethane sandwich composite comprises the reaction product of one or more isocyanates and one or more isocyanate-reactive components.
16 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 15 , wherein the isocyanate is chosen from ethylene diisocyanate, 1,4-tetramethylene diisocyanate, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, 1,12-dodecane-diisocyanate, cyclobutane-1,3-diisocyanate, cyclohexane-1,3- and -1,4-diisocyanate, 1-isocyanato-3,3,5-trimethyl-5-isocyanatomethylcyclohexane, (isophorone diisocyanate), 2,4- and 2,6-hexahydrotoluene diisocyanate, dicyclohexylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate (hydrogenated MDI, or HMDI), 1,3- and 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate, 2,4- and 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (TDI), diphenylmethane-2,4′- and/or -4,4′-diisocyanate (MDI), naphthylene-1,5-diisocyanate, triphenylmethane-4,4′,4″-triisocyanate, polyphenyl-polymethylene-polyisocyanates, norbornane diisocyanates, m- and p-isocyanatophenyl sulfonylisocyanates, perchlorinated aryl polyisocyanates carbodiimide-modified polyisocyanates, urethane-modified polyisocyanates, allophanate-modified polyisocyanates, isocyanurate-modified polyisocyanates, urea-modified polyisocyanates, biuret-containing polyisocyanates and isocyanate-terminated prepolymers.
17 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 15 , wherein the isocyanate-reactive component is chosen from polyether polyols, polyester polyols, polythioether polyols, polyesteramides, hydroxyl-containing polyacetals, hydroxyl-containing aliphatic polycarbonates and mixtures thereof.
18 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 , wherein the structural polyurethane sandwich composite comprises:
at least one glass mat;
a structural polyurethane foam; and
a paper honeycomb.
19 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 , wherein the structural polyurethane sandwich composite encases the one or more load-bearing members.
20 . The load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 , wherein the structural polyurethane sandwich composite contacts the one or more load-bearing members.
21 . In a process for producing one of an automobile floor panel, a mobile home wall, a roof module, a truck floor, a truck floor and a truck trailer floor, the improvement comprising including the load-bearing composite panel according to claim 1 .
22 . A process for making a load-bearing composite panel comprising:
surrounding with a long fiber reinforced polyurethane an assembly comprising one or more load-bearing members and a structural polyurethane sandwich composite.
23 . The process according to claim 22 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises at least one fiber chosen from glass, flax, jute, sisal, polyamide, polyester, carbon and polyurethane fibers.
24 . The process according to claim 22 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises fibers having a length of more than about 3 mm.
25 . The process according to claim 22 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises fibers having a length of more than about 10 mm.
26 . The process according to claim 22 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises fibers having a length of from about 12 mm to about 75 cm.
27 . The process according to claim 22 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises from about 5 to about 75 wt. %, based on the weight of the long fiber reinforced polyurethane, of long fibers.
28 . The process according to claim 22 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises from about 10 to about 60 wt. %, based on the weight of the long fiber reinforced polyurethane, of long fibers.
29 . The process according to claim 22 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises from about 20 to about 50 wt. %, based on the weight of the long fiber reinforced polyurethane, of long fibers.
30 . The process according to claim 22 , wherein the long fiber reinforced polyurethane comprises the reaction product of one or more isocyanates and one or more isocyanate-reactive components.
31 . The process according to claim 30 , wherein the isocyanate is chosen from ethylene diisocyanate, 1,4-tetramethylene diisocyanate, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, 1,12-dodecane diisocyanate, cyclobutane-1,3-diisocyanate, cyclohexane-1,3- and -1,4-diisocyanate, 1-isocyanato-3,3,5-trimethyl-5-isocyanatomethylcyclohexane, (isophorone diisocyanate), 2,4- and 2,6-hexahydrotoluene diisocyanate, dicyclohexylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate (hydrogenated MDI, or HMDI), 1,3- and 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate, 2,4- and 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (TDI), diphenylmethane-2,4′- and/or -4,4′-diisocyanate (MDI), naphthylene-1,5-diisocyanate, triphenylmethane-4,4′,4″-triisocyanate, polyphenyl-polymethylene-polyisocyanates, norbornane diisocyanates, m- and p-isocyanatophenyl sulfonylisocyanates, perchlorinated aryl polyisocyanates carbodiimide-modified polyisocyanates, urethane-modified polyisocyanates, allophanate-modified polyisocyanates, isocyanurate-modified polyisocyanates, urea-modified polyisocyanates, biuret-containing polyisocyanates and isocyanate-terminated prepolymers.
32 . The process according to claim 30 , wherein the isocyanate-reactive component is chosen from polyether polyols, polyester polyols, polythioether polyols, polyesteramides, hydroxyl-containing polyacetals, hydroxyl-containing aliphatic polycarbonates and mixtures thereof.
33 . The process according to claim 22 , wherein the load-bearing member comprises a material chosen from metal, plastic and wood.
34 . The process according to claim 22 , wherein the load-bearing member comprises a metal chosen from steel and aluminum.
35 . The process according to claim 22 , wherein the load-bearing member is chosen from tubes, rods, beams, slabs, plates, planks and stampings.
36 . The process according to claim 22 , wherein the structural polyurethane sandwich composite comprises the reaction product of one or more isocyanates and one or more isocyanate-reactive components.
37 . The process according to claim 36 , wherein the isocyanate is chosen from ethylene diisocyanate, 1,4-tetramethylene diisocyanate, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, 1,12-dodecane diisocyanate, cyclobutane-1,3-diisocyanate, cyclohexane-1,3- and -1,4-diisocyanate, 1-isocyanato-3,3,5-trimethyl-5-isocyanatomethylcyclohexane, (isophorone diisocyanate), 2,4- and 2,6-hexahydrotoluene diisocyanate, dicyclohexylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate (hydrogenated MDI, or HMDI), 1,3- and 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate, 2,4- and 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (TDI), diphenylmethane-2,4′- and/or -4,4′-diisocyanate (MDI), naphthylene-1,5-diisocyanate, triphenylmethane-4,4′,4″-triisocyanate, polyphenyl-polymethylene-polyisocyanates, norbornane diisocyanates, m- and p-isocyanatophenyl sulfonylisocyanates, perchlorinated aryl polyisocyanates carbodiimide-modified polyisocyanates, urethane-modified polyisocyanates, allophanate-modified polyisocyanates, isocyanurate-modified polyisocyanates, urea-modified polyisocyanates, biuret-containing polyisocyanates and isocyanate-terminated prepolymers.
38 . The process according to claim 36 , wherein the isocyanate-reactive component is chosen from polyether polyols, polyester polyols, polythioether polyols, polyesteramides, hydroxyl-containing polyacetals, hydroxyl-containing aliphatic polycarbonates and mixtures thereof.
39 . The process according to claim 22 , wherein the structural polyurethane sandwich composite comprises:
at least one glass mat;
a structural polyurethane foam; and
a paper honeycomb.
40 . The process according to claim 22 , wherein the structural polyurethane sandwich composite surrounds the one or more load-bearing members.
41 . The process according to claim 22 , wherein the structural polyurethane sandwich composite contacts the one or more load-bearing members.
42 . In a process for producing one of an automobile floor panel, a mobile home wall, a roof module, a truck floor, a truck floor and a truck trailer floor, the improvement comprising including the load-bearing composite panel made by the process according to claim 22.