Granted Patent B2

US 7,632,888 · App. 11/893,449 · Granted Dec 15, 2009

Abstract

Claims (19)

1. A feedstock concentrate material, comprising:

a first phase including fibers having an average length greater than about 5 mm; and a polymeric phase including

at least 50 percent by weight of the polymeric components of the polymeric phase of a first polyolefin having a first melt flow rate; and

less than 50 percent by weight of the polymeric components of the polymeric phase of a second polyolefin having a second melt flow rate that is higher than the first melt flow rate;

wherein the fibers in the first phase include glass fibers, the first polyolefin includes a polypropylene and the second polyolefin includes a polypropylene;

wherein the feedstock concentrate material further comprises a polypropylene-based coupling agent, and the feedstock concentrate material is in the form of pellets, rods, or granules;

wherein the fibers in the first phase are aligned generally axially with each other;

wherein the first polyolefin is a polypropylene having a melt flow rate of less than about 60 g/10 mm, as measured per ISO 1133 at 230° C./2.16 kg, the second polyolefin is a polypropylene having a melt flow rate greater than about 300 g/10 mm, as measured per ISO 1133 at 230° C./2.16 kg, and the first polyolefin is present from about 3 to about 9 parts by weight per 1 part by weight of the second polyolefin.

2. The feedstock concentrate material of claim 1 , wherein the fibers are coated with a silane sizing, are substantially uniformly distributed in the blend, or both.

3. A feedstock concentrate material, comprising:

a first phase including about 50 to about 70 percent by weight of the feedstock concentrate material of glass fibers coated with a silane sizing and having an average length greater than about 10 mm;

a polymeric phase including a blend of:

a first polypropylene having a melt flow rate at 230° C./2.16 kg, per Iso 1133 of less than about 60 g/10 mm; and

a second polypropylene having a melt flow rate at 230° C./2.16 kg, per ISO 1133 greater than about 300 g/10 mm; and

a maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene coupling agent present in an amount of about 0.5 to about 5 percent by weight of the feedstock concentrate material;

wherein the polymeric phase includes about 3 to about 9 parts by weight of the first polypropylene to about 1 part by weight of the second polypropylene.

4. A feedstock concentrate material of claim 3 , wherein the feedstock concentrate material is in the form of pellets, rods, or granules.

5. A polymeric article comprising a diluent polymer other than the first polypropylene, the second polypropylene or both blended with the feedstock concentrate material of claim 3 .

6. The polymeric article of claim 5 , wherein the diluent polymer includes a polypropylene having a melt rate of less than about 150 g/10 minutes, as measured per ISO 1133 at 230° C./2.16 kg.

Assignments (13)