Reinforced element for industrial textiles
A reinforced element for use in the construction and assembly of an industrial textile, the element comprising a fibrous reinforcing material encapsulated by a thermoplastic polymer matrix, wherein: the thermoplastic polymer matrix comprises an amorphous polyester, a low-crystallinity polyester, polyphenylene sulphide (PPS), or a mixture thereof; the fibrous reinforcing material comprises continuous filaments selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polymeric filaments, thermosetting polymeric filaments, glass fibers and a mixture thereof such that a majority of the continuous filaments are oriented in a first direction and the remainder of the continuous filaments are oriented in a second direction that is generally perpendicular to the first direction; a temperature at which the amorphous polymer substantially enters a liquid state, or the melting point of the low-crystallinity polyester, is at least 10° C. less than the melting point of the thermoplastic polymeric filaments; and the polymer matrix and the fibrous reinforcing material are both substantially transparent to radiant laser energy in a range of from about 800 nm to about 1200 run.
1. A reinforced element for use in the construction and assembly of an industrial textile, the reinforced element comprising:
a fibrous reinforcing material encapsulated by a thermoplastic polymer matrix, wherein:
the thermoplastic polymer matrix comprises an amorphous polyester, a low-crystallinity polyester, polyphenylene sulphide (PPS), or a mixture thereof, wherein the amorphous polyester or the low-crystallinity polyester is hydrolysis stabilized;
the fibrous reinforcing material comprises continuous filaments selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polymeric filaments, thermosetting polymeric filaments, glass fibers and a mixture thereof, such that a majority of the continuous filaments are oriented in a first direction and the remainder of the continuous filaments are oriented in a second direction that is generally perpendicular to the first direction;
wherein a temperature at which the amorphous polymer substantially enters a liquid state, or the melting point of the low-crystallinity polyester, is at least 10° C. less than the melting point of the thermoplastic polymeric filaments;
wherein the polymer matrix and the fibrous reinforcing material are both substantially transparent to radiant laser energy in a range of from about 800 nm to about 1200 nm; and
wherein the reinforced element has a tensile strength of between 525 N/cm (300 lbs per inch) and 2000N/cm (1140 lbs per inch).
2. The reinforced element according to claim 1 , the reinforced element having an ultimate tensile stress of between 200 MPa and 600 MPa.
3. The reinforced element of claim 1 , wherein the fibrous reinforcing material comprises a glass fiber, a liquid crystal polymer (LCP), a high tenacity polyethylene naphthalate (HT-PEN) or PBO (poly[p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole]).
4. The reinforced element of claim 1 , wherein the fibrous reinforcing material comprises a uni-axially oriented semi-crystalline polymer.
5. The reinforced element of claim 1 , further comprising an NIR laser energy absorbing material.
6. The reinforced element according to claim 5 , wherein the NIR laser energy absorbing material is provided in a layer having an overall thickness that is between 0.05:1 and 0.15:1 of the thickness of the reinforced element.
7. The reinforced element of claim 6 , wherein the thickness of the layer containing the NIR laser energy absorbing material is between 5 μm and 75 μm.
8. The reinforced element of claim 5 , wherein the NIR laser energy absorbing material is carbon black and is provided in a layer in an amount from about 0.1% w/w to 1.0% w/w based on the total weight of the layer.
9. The reinforced element of claim 1 , the reinforced element having a thickness of from 100 μm to 500 μm.
10. A method for manufacturing a reinforced element, the method comprising:
applying heat and pressure to a planar woven precursor material, wherein:
the woven precursor material comprises composite yarns; each yarn comprising a first set of continuous monofilament-like fibres comingled with a second set of continuous monofilament-like fibers;
the first set of fibres forms athermoplastic polymer matrix comprising an amorphous polyester, a low-crystallinity polyester, polyphenylene sulphide (PPS), or a mixture thereof, wherein the amorphous polyester or the low-crystallinity polyester is hydrolysis stabilized;
the second set of fibres forms a fibrous reinforcing material comprising continuous filaments selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polymeric filaments, thermosetting polymeric filaments, glass fibers and a mixture thereof, such that a majority of the continuous filaments are oriented in a first direction and the remainder of the continuous filaments are oriented in a second direction that is generally perpendicular to the first direction;
the planar woven precursor consists of an unbalanced weave pattern of the composite yarns;
wherein a temperature at which the amorphous polymer substantially enters a liquid state, or the melting point of the low-crystallinity polyester, is at least 10° C. less than the melting point of the thermoplastic polymeric filaments;
wherein the polymer matrix and the fibrous reinforcing material are both substantially transparent to radiant laser energy in a range of from about 800 nm to about 1200 nm; and
wherein the reinforced element has a tensile strength of between 525 N/cm (300 lbs per inch) and 2000N/cm (1140 lbs per inch).
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the planar woven precursor material is passed through a double belt press.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising addition of one or more layers onto one or both exterior planar surfaces of the reinforced element, wherein the one or more layers comprises an NIR laser energy absorbent material.
13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising addition of one or more layers of the thermoplastic polymer matrix onto one or both exterior planar surfaces of the reinforced element.
14. A reinforced element for use in the construction and assembly of an industrial textile, the reinforced element comprising:
a fibrous reinforcing material encapsulated by a thermoplastic polymer matrix, wherein:
the thermoplastic polymer matrix comprises an amorphous polyester, a low-crystallinity polyester, polyphenylene sulphide (PPS), or a mixture thereof;
the fibrous reinforcing material comprises continuous filaments selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polymeric filaments, thermosetting polymeric filaments, glass fibers and a mixture thereof, such that a majority of the continuous filaments are oriented in a first direction and the remainder of the continuous filaments are oriented in a second direction that is generally perpendicular to the first direction;
wherein a temperature at which the amorphous polymer substantially enters a liquid state, or the melting point of the low-crystallinity polyester, is at least 10° C. less than the melting point of the thermoplastic polymeric filaments;
wherein the polymer matrix and the fibrous reinforcing material are both substantially transparent to radiant laser energy in a range of from about 800 nm to about 1200 nm;
wherein a layer of the thermoplastic polymer matrix on one or both exterior surfaces of the fiber reinforced element; and
wherein the reinforced element has a tensile strength of between 525 N/cm (300 lbs per inch) and 2000N/cm (1140 lbs per inch).
15. The reinforced element according to claim 14 , the reinforced element having an ultimate tensile stress of between 200 MPa and 600 MPa.
16. The reinforced element of claim 14 , wherein the fibrous reinforcing material comprises a glass fiber, a liquid crystal polymer (LCP), a high tenacity polyethylene naphthalate (HT-PEN) or PBO (poly [p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole]).
17. The reinforced element of claim 14 , wherein the fibrous reinforcing material comprises a uni-axially oriented semi-crystalline polymer.
18. The reinforced element of claim 14 , further comprising an NIR laser energy absorbing material.
19. The reinforced element according to claim 18 , wherein the NIR laser energy absorbing material is provided in a layer having an overall thickness that is between 0.05:1 and 0.15:1 of the thickness of the reinforced element.
20. The reinforced element of claim 19 , wherein the thickness of the layer containing the NIR laser energy absorbing material is between 5 μm and 75 μm.
21. The reinforced element of claim 18 , wherein the NIR laser energy absorbing material is carbon black and is provided in a layer in an amount from about 0.1% w/w to 1.0% w/w based on the total weight of the layer.
22. The reinforced element of claim 14 , the reinforced element having a thickness of from 100 μm to 500 μm.