Buffer Layer for Strings
A thin buffer layer is used to coat on the multi-filament wrapped string to fill the gaps. The polymers of the buffer-layer coating have a high melt-flow (low viscosity) during coating process to fill all the gaps between the filaments, and the filaments are fixed by the coatings onto base core materials.
1 . A coating for a string, comprising:
a core filament wrapped with a plurality of wrapping filaments of a smaller diameter than the core filament;
a buffer layer coating filling in gaps between the wrapping filaments and between the wrapping filaments and the core filament; and
an outer coating covering over the buffer layer coating, wrapping filaments and core filament.
2 . The coating of claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer coating comprises a polymer.
3 . The coating of claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer coating comprises nylon.
4 . The coating of claim 3 , wherein the buffer layer coating comprises nylon 6.
5 . The coating of claim 3 , wherein the buffer layer coating comprises nylon 11.
6 . The coating of claim 3 , wherein the outer coating comprises a composite of nylon and clay nanoparticles.
7 . The coating of claim 3 , wherein the outer coating comprises a composite of nylon and carbon nanotubes.
8 . The coating of claim 6 , wherein the outer coating further comprises a modifier.
9 . A method for coating a string comprising:
wrapping a core filament having a first diameter with one or more wrapping filaments having a second diameter that is less than the first diameter;
extruding a melted nylon into gaps between the one or more wrapping filaments and into gaps between the wrapping filaments and the core filament;
extruding a coating on a circumference of the string so that it covers the one or more wrapping filaments and the melted nylon in the gaps.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the melted nylon comprises nylon 6.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the melted nylon comprises nylon 11.
12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the coating comprises a composite of nylon and clay nanoparticles.
13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the coating comprises a composite of nylon and carbon nanotubes.
14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the coating comprises a composite of nylon and ceramic particles.
15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the coating comprises a composite of nylon and glass particles.
16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the coating is between 1 and 100 micrometers thick.
17 . The coating of claim 1 , further comprising:
another plurality of wrapping filaments wrapped around the outer coating;
another buffer layer coating filling in gaps between the another plurality of wrapping filaments; and
another outer coating covering over the another buffer layer coating.
18 . The coating of claim 3 , wherein the coating comprises a composite of nylon and glass particles.
19 . The coating of claim 3 , wherein the coating comprises a composite of nylon and ceramic particles.