	US 11,932,736 B2
	Carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic sheets for efficient microwave heating with dispersed wavy carbon nanotubes
Yuyang Song, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Umesh N. Gandhi, Farmington Hills, MI (US); and Piran R. Kidambi, Nashville, TN (US)
Assigned to Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US); and Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (US)
Filed by Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed on May 4, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/307,611.
Prior Publication US 2022/0356312 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. C08J 5/04 (2006.01); D01F 8/18 (2006.01)

CPC C08J 5/042 (2013.01) [C08J 5/041 (2013.01); C08J 5/043 (2013.01); C08J 5/045 (2013.01); D01F 8/18 (2013.01); C08J 2323/06 (2013.01); C08J 2323/12 (2013.01); C08J 2325/06 (2013.01); C08J 2333/12 (2013.01); C08J 2353/02 (2013.01); C08J 2367/03 (2013.01); C08J 2369/00 (2013.01); C08J 2371/02 (2013.01); D10B 2101/122 (2013.01); D10B 2321/10 (2013.01)]

8 Claims

1. A method of preparing a CFRTP composite object, the method comprising:

suspending a plurality of thermoplastic fibers, a plurality of carbon fibers, and a plurality of wavy CNTs in a solvent or solution;

filtering or settling the plurality of thermoplastic fibers, the plurality of carbon fibers, and the plurality of wavy CNTs to form a mixed fiber sheet;

forming a shaped mixed fiber sheet object comprising at least one of the mixed fiber sheet; and

irradiating the mixed fiber sheet object using variable frequency microwave (VFM) radiation to form the CFRTP composite object.