Fiber reinforced thermoplastic sheets with surface coverings

1. A composite sheet material comprising a porous core layer, said core layer comprising:

a web of open celled structures defined by random crossing over of reinforcing fibers held together by a thermoplastic polymer;

said web comprising about 20 weight percent to about 80 weight percent of reinforcing fibers based on a total weight of said porous core layer, and

an effective amount of a flame retardant agent, said flame retardant agent comprising at least one of N, P, As, Sb, Bi, S, Se, Te, Po, F, Cl, Br, I, and At.

2. A composite sheet material in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flame retardant agent comprises a halogenated thermoplastic polymer.

3. A composite sheet material in accordance with claim 2 wherein said halogenated thermoplastic polymer comprises tetrabromo bisphenol-A polycarbonate.

4. A composite sheet material in accordance with claim 2 wherein said core layer comprises about 2.0 weight percent to about 13.0 weight percent bromine.

5. A composite sheet material in accordance with claim 2 wherein said core layer comprises about 2.0 weight percent to about 5.0 weight percent bromine.

6. A composite sheet material in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a smoke suppressant composition, said smoke suppressant composition comprising at least one of stannates, zinc borates, zinc molybdate, magnesium silicates, calcium zinc molybdate, calcium silicates and calcium hydroxides.

7. A composite sheet material in accordance with claim 1 further comprising at least one of sodium trichlorobenzene sulfonate potassium and diphenyl sulfone-3-sulfonate.

8. A composite sheet material in accordance with claim 1 further comprising at least one skin, each said skin covering at least a portion of a surface of said porous core layer, said skin comprising at least one of a thermoplastic film, an elastomeric film, a metal foil, a thermosetting coating, an inorganic coating, a fiber based scrim, a non-woven fabric, and a woven fabric, said skin having a limiting oxygen index greater than about 22, as measured at a predetermined thickness used to cover at least a portion of a surface of said porous core layer per ISO 4589-2, first edition, 1996.

9. A composite sheet material in accordance with claim 8 wherein said thermoplastic film comprises at least one of poly(ether imide), poly(ether ketone), poly(ether-ether ketone), poly(phenylene sulfide), poly(arylene sulfone), poly(ether sulfone), poly(antde-imide), poly(1,4-phenylene), polycarbonate, nylon, and silicone.

10. A composite sheet material in accordance with claim 8 wherein said fiber based scrim comprises at least one of glass fibers, aramid fibers, graphite fibers, carbon fibers, inorganic mineral fibers, metal fibers, metalized synthetic fibers, and metalized inorganic fibers.

11. A composite sheet material in accordance with claim 10 wherein said fiber based scrim comprises at least one of polyacrylonitrile, p-aramid, m-aramid, poly(p-phenylene2,6,benzobisoxazole), poly(ether-imide) and poly(phenylene sulfide).

12. A composite material in accordance with claim 8 wherein said thermal setting coating comprises at least one of unsaturated polyurethartes, vinyl esters, phenolics and epoxies.

13. A composite material in accordance with claim 8 wherein said inorganic coating comprises minerals containing cations selected from Ca, Mg, Ba, Si, Zn, Ti and Al.

14. A composite material in accordance with claim 13 wherein said inorganic coating comprises at least one of gypsum, calcium carbonate and mortar.

15. A composite sheet material in accordance with claim 8 comprising:

a first porous core layer having a first surface and a second surface; and

at least one skin covering at least a portion of at least one of said first and second surface.

16. A composite sheet material in accordance with claim 8 comprising:

a first and a second porous core layer, each said core layer comprising a first and a second surface, said second surface of said first core layer positioned adjacent said first surface of said second core layer; and

at least one skin covering at least a portion of at least one of said first and second surfaces of said first core layer and said first and second surface of said second core layer.

17. A composite sheet material in accordance with claim 16 wherein said first porous core layer comprises at least one of a different thermoplastic material and a different fiber than said second porous core layer.

18. A composite sheet material in accordance with claim 8 comprising:

a first, a second, and a third porous core layer, each said core layer comprising a first and a second surface, said second surface of said first core layer positioned adjacent said first surface of said second core layer, said second surface of said second core layer positioned adjacent said first surface of said third core layer; and

at least one skin covering at least one of said first and second surfaces of said first core layer, said first and second surface of said second core layer, and said first and second surface of said third core layer.

19. A composite sheet material in accordance with claim 18 wherein one of said porous core layers comprises at least one of a different thermoplastic material and a different fiber than at least one of said other layers.

20. A composite sheet material according to claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic polymer comprises at least one of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, acrylonitryistyrene, butadiene, polyethyleneterephthalate, polybutyleneterephthalate, polybutyleneterachlorate, polyvinyl chloride, polyphenylene ether, polycarbonates, polyestercarbonates, thermoplastic polyesters, polyetherimides, acrylonitrile-butylacrylate-styrene polymers, amorphous nylon, polyarylene ether ketone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyaryl sulfone, polyether sulfone, poly(1,4phenylene) compounds, and silicones.

21. A method of manufacturing a porous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic sheet, said method comprising:

providing a porous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic sheet comprising at least one porous core layer comprising a web of open celled structures defined by random crossing over of reinforcing fibers held together by a thermoplastic material, said web comprising from about 20 weight percent to about 80 weight percent fibers, and an effective amount of a flame retardant agent, said flame retardant agent comprising at least one of N, P, As, Sb, Bi, S, Se, Te, Po, F, Cl, Br, I, and At; and

laminating at least one skin to a surface of the porous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic sheet, each skin comprising at least one of a thermoplastic film, an elastomeric film, a metal foil, a thermosetting coating, an inorganic coating, a fiber based scrim, a non-woven fabric, and a woven fabric, the skin having a limiting oxygen index greater than about 22, as measured per ISO 4589-2, first edition, 1996, to enhance at least one of the flame, smoke, heat release and gaseous emissions characteristics of the porous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic sheet.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein the flame retardant agent comprises a halogenated thermoplastic polymer.

23. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein the halogenated thermoplastic polymer comprises tetrabromo bisphenol-A polycarbonate.

24. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein the core layer comprises about 2.0 weight percent to about 13.0 weight percent bromine.

25. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein the core layer further comprises a smoke suppressant composition, said smoke suppressant composition comprising at least one of stannates, zinc borates, zinc molybdate, magnesium silicates, calcium zinc molybdate, calcium silicates and calcium hydroxides.

26. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein the core layer further comprises at least one of sodium trichlorobenzene sulfonate potassium and diphenyl sulfone-3-sulfonate.