US 11,951,656 B2
Fiber-containing particles with dual-tapered shape
Jordan Gray Harris, Arvada, CO (US); Kylie Marie Van Aken, Edgewater, CO (US); Sean Paul Kline, Littleton, CO (US); Andrew Timothy Maxey, Arvada, CO (US); and Sean Louis Hankins, Jacksonville, FL (US)
Assigned to VARTEGA INC., Denver, CO (US)
Filed by VARTEGA INC., Denver, CO (US)
Filed on Jul. 14, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/222,380.
Application 18/222,380 is a division of application No. 17/674,089, filed on Feb. 17, 2022.
Application 17/674,089 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2021/057389, filed on Oct. 29, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0356436 A1, Nov. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. B29B 9/14 (2006.01); B29B 9/06 (2006.01); B29C 45/00 (2006.01); B29C 48/285 (2019.01); C08J 3/12 (2006.01)
CPC B29B 9/14 (2013.01) [B29B 9/06 (2013.01); B29C 45/0001 (2013.01); B29C 45/0005 (2013.01); B29C 48/2886 (2019.02); C08J 3/12 (2013.01); B29C 2045/001 (2013.01); Y10T 428/2976 (2015.01)] 33 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A bulk product comprising a plurality of fiber-containing particles, the plurality of fiber-containing particles comprising:
from 90 weight percent to 99.5 weight percent reinforcing fibers;
from 0.5 weight percent to 10 weight percent binder, holding the reinforcing fibers in a particle structure;
each said fiber-containing particle comprising:
a particle length dimension, being a maximum separation distance in a longitudinal direction between first and second longitudinal ends of the particle;
a maximum particle width dimension transverse to the longitudinal direction at a longitudinal location between the first and second longitudinal ends;
an aspect ratio equal to the particle length dimension divided by the maximum particle width dimension; and
a dual-tapered shape comprising a first tapered portion tapering in the longitudinal direction away from the longitudinal location toward the first longitudinal end and a second tapered portion tapering in the longitudinal direction away from the longitudinal location toward the second longitudinal end; and
the plurality of fiber-containing particles further comprising:
a weight average particle length dimension of the fiber-containing particles is in a range of from 3 millimeters to 40 millimeters, wherein the weight average particle length dimension is an average on a weight basis of the particle length dimensions of the fiber-containing particles; and
a weight average aspect ratio of the fiber-containing particles of at least 1.5, wherein the weight average aspect ratio is an average on a weight basis of the aspect ratios of the fiber-containing particles; and
wherein the particle length dimensions of at least 2 weight percent of the fiber-containing particles are outside of a range of from 0.8 times the weight average particle length dimension to 1.2 times the weight average particle length dimension.