US 12,441,081 B2
Moulding material
Mark Whiter, Saffron Walden (GB)
Assigned to HEXCEL COMPOSITES LIMITED, Duxford (GB)
Appl. No. 17/770,015
Filed by HEXCEL COMPOSITES LIMITED, Duxford (GB)
PCT Filed Sep. 23, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/076515
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 18, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/099010, PCT Pub. Date May 27, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 1916917 (GB), filed on Nov. 20, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0388274 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. B32B 5/26 (2006.01); B32B 5/02 (2006.01); B32B 5/08 (2006.01); B32B 5/10 (2006.01); B32B 7/09 (2019.01); B32B 27/12 (2006.01); B32B 27/20 (2006.01); B32B 27/28 (2006.01); B32B 27/30 (2006.01); B32B 27/36 (2006.01); B32B 27/38 (2006.01); B32B 27/40 (2006.01)
CPC B32B 5/266 (2021.05) [B32B 5/022 (2013.01); B32B 5/08 (2013.01); B32B 5/10 (2013.01); B32B 7/09 (2019.01); B32B 27/12 (2013.01); B32B 27/20 (2013.01); B32B 27/281 (2013.01); B32B 27/30 (2013.01); B32B 27/36 (2013.01); B32B 27/38 (2013.01); B32B 27/40 (2013.01); B32B 2260/021 (2013.01); B32B 2260/046 (2013.01); B32B 2262/0246 (2013.01); B32B 2262/0253 (2013.01); B32B 2262/0269 (2013.01); B32B 2262/0276 (2013.01); B32B 2262/04 (2013.01); B32B 2262/062 (2013.01); B32B 2262/065 (2013.01); B32B 2262/08 (2013.01); B32B 2262/101 (2013.01); B32B 2262/106 (2013.01); B32B 2262/108 (2013.01); B32B 2262/144 (2021.05); B32B 2307/516 (2013.01)] 3 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A moulding material comprising:
a) a primary non-woven fibre layer, said primary non-woven fibre layer having an upper and a lower face, said primary non-woven layer comprising a polyester or an aliphatic or semi-aromatic polyamide fibre material, having an areal weight of 10 to 40 g/m2, said primary non-woven fibre layer having an openness of 1 to 10% and a mean open area of 75 to 350 micron2, said primary non-woven fibre layer being fully saturated by resin; wherein said primary non-woven fibre layer has an air permeability of approximately 2,300 L/m2/s at an applied pressure of 200 Pa as measured in accordance with ASTM D737-18;
b) a secondary non-woven fibre layer, said secondary non-woven fibre layer having an upper and a lower face, said secondary non-woven fibre layer comprising glass fibre material, polyolefin polymer material, or a combination of said materials, and having an areal weight of 30 to 60 g/m2;
c) a fibrous reinforcement layer, said fibrous reinforcement layer having a upper and lower face; the lower face of said fibrous reinforcement layer being stitched to the upper surface of the secondary fibre layer, whereby said fibrous reinforcement layer does not include resin; said reinforcement layer comprising at least two layers of unidirectional fibres, each layer of unidirectional fibres being disposed in different directions; said layers of said reinforcement layer being stitched together; wherein the fibres of said layers of unidirectional fibres of said reinforcement layer are of 68 to 2400 tex; and
d) a resin layer, said resin layer comprising at least one resin component, at least one curative and at least one silica filler; wherein said resin layer is conjoined to the lower face of said primary non-woven fibre layer and the lower face of said secondary non-woven fibre layer is conjoined to the upper face of said primary non-woven fibre layer; and wherein said resin layer impregnates at least partially said primary non-woven fibre layer and partially impregnates said secondary non-woven fibre layer; but said resin does not impregnate said fibrous layer of said moulding material, whereby said moulding material comprises 25 to 50% by weight resin;
wherein the resin layer bonds the secondary non-woven fibre layer to the upper surface of the primary non-woven fibre layer, and the resin layer is exposed on the lower surface of the primary non-woven layer, whereby said moulding material, upon curing, provides an excellent surface quality with substantially no pin-holes and substantially no print-through.