Starch coated fibers for embedding in resin matrix forming materials and composites so formed

Claim 2

IN THE PROCESS FOR PRODUCING GLASS FIBER REINFORCED PLASTICS WHEREIN ESENTIALLY BARE GLASS FIBERS ARE COATED WITH A SIZE, AND ARE THEN WOUND INTO A PACKAGE, AND FOLLOWING WHICH THE FIBERS ARE RUN THROUGH MACHINERY AND EMBEDDED INTO A LIQUID RESIN PREPOLYMER THAT IS CURED INSITU AROUND THE FIBERS TO BOND THEREWITH, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: APPLYING STARCH. EMULSIFIED PARTICLES OF A NONIONIC LUBRICANT, A WATER SOLUBLE CATIONIC ORGANIC LUBRICANT, AND AN ORGANO-SILANE COUPLING AGENT WHICH COUPLES SAID LIQUID RESIN PREPOLYMER TO GLASS FIBERS THAT ARE DEVIE OF INTERFERRING FILMS IN A MANNERS CAUSING SAID ORGANO-SILANE TO TREAT THE FLASS AND FORM A COATING OF STARCH, NONIONIC LUBRICANT, AND CATIONIC LUBRICANT OVER THE ORGANO-SILANE TREATED GLASS FIBER SURFACE, DISSSOLVING THE NONIONIC LUBRICANTS AND CATIONIC LUBRICANT OUT OF THE COATING WITH A MUTUAL SOLVENT BUT IN WHICH THE SILANE IS NOT DISSOLVABLE TO EXPOSE THE SILANE TREATED SURFACE OF THE GLASS FIBERS, AND BONDING A MATRIX RESIN PREPOLYMER TO THE SILANE TREATED SURFACE OF THE GLASS FIBERS.

Claim 3

In the process for producing glass fiber reinforced plastics wherein essentially bare glass fibers are coated with a size, and are then wound into a package, and following which the fibers are run through machinery and embedded into a liquid resin prepolymer that is cured insitu around the fibers to bond therewith, the improvement comprising: applying starch, emulsified particles of a nonionic lubricant, a water soluble cationic organic lubricant, and an organo-silane coupling agent which couples said liquid resin prepolymer to glass fibers that are devoid of interferring films in a manner causing said organo-silane to treat the glass and form a coating of starch, nonionic lubricant, anD cationic lubricant over the organo-silane treated glass fiber surface; dissolving the nonionic lubricants and cationic lubricant out of the coating with a mutual solvent but in which the silane is not dissolvable to expose the silane treated surface of the glass fibers; and bonding a matrix resin prepolymer to the silane treated surface of the glass fibers.

Claim 4

In the process for producing glass fiber reinforced plastics wherein essentially bare glass fibers are coated with a size, and are then wound into a package, and following which the fibers are run through machinery and embedded into a liquid resin prepolymer that is cured insitu around the fibers to bond therewith, the improvement comprising: applying starch, emulsified particles of a nonionic lubricant, a water soluble cationic organic lubricant, and an organo-silane coupling agent which couples said liquid resin prepolymer to glass fibers that are devoid of interferring films in a manner causing said organo-silane to treat the glass and form a coating of starch, nonionic lubricant, anD cationic lubricant over the organo-silane treated glass fiber surface; dissolving the nonionic lubricants and cationic lubricant out of the coating with a mutual solvent but in which the silane is not dissolvable to expose the silane treated surface of the glass fibers; and bonding a matrix resin prepolymer to the silane treated surface of the glass fibers.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein the materials are applied as an aqueous mixture comprising the following approximate percentages by weight of materials: from 0.5 to 7 percent of starch, from 0.2 to 5 percent of nonionic lubricant, from 0.1 to 2.0 percent of a cationic lubricant, from 0.05 to 1.0 percent of an emulsifying agent, and from 0.1 to 2.0 percent of a cationic silane glass coupling agent having unsaturated organo functionality.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein said dissolving step is accomplished by a solution of the matrix resin prepolymer containing said mutual solvent for the nonionic lubricant and the cationic lubricant.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 wherein said dissolving step is accomplished by immersing the starch coated fibers in a bath of said mutual solvent to remove said lubricants before incorporating said fibers in said matrix resin prepolymer and bonding therewith.

Claim 8

The method of claim 4 wherein said fibers have said mutual solvent removed prior to incorporating in said prepolymer and said prepolymer is generally devoid of said mutual solvent.

Claim 9

The method of claim 5 wherein said matrix resin prepolymer is a polyester prepolymer containing a styrene solvent.

Claim 10

The method of claim 6 wherein said organo-silane in said aqueous starch mixture is an amino silane.

Claim 11

The method of claim 3 wherein said organo-silane is an acryloxy functional silane.

Claim 12

In the process for producing glass fiber reinforced plastics wherein essentially bare glass fibers are coated with a size, and are then wound into a package, and following which the fibers are run through machinery and embedded into a liquid resin prepolymer that is cured insitu around the fibers to bond therewith, the improvement comprising: preparing an aqueous mixture of starch containing swollen and unburst starch granules, emulsified particles of a nonionic lubricant, a water soluble cationic organic lubricant, and an organo-silane coupling agent having a radical that is reactive with said liquid resin prepolymer; applying said aqueous mixture to glass fibers that are devoid of interferring films to cause said organo-silane to treat the glass and form a coating of particles of starch, nonionic lubricant, and cationic lubricant over the organo-silane treated glass fiber surface; dissolving the nonionic lubricants and cationic lubricant out of the coating with a mutual solvent but in which the silane is not dissolvable to expose the silane treated surface of the glass fibers; and bonding a matrix resin prepolymer to the silane treated surface of the glass fibers.

Claim 13

In the process for producing glass fiber reinforced plastics wherein essentially bare glass fibers are coated with a size, and are then wound into a package, and following which the fibers are run through machinery and embedded into a liquid resin prepolymer that is cured insitu around the fibers to bond therewith, the improvement comprising: preparing an aqueous mixture of starch containing swollen and unburst starch granules, emulsified particles of a nonionic lubricant, a water soluble cationic organic lubricant, and an organo-silane coupling agent having a radical that is reactive with said liquid resin prepolymer; applying said aqueous mixture to glass fibers that are devoid of interferring films to cause said organo-silane to treat the glass and form a coating of particles of starch, nonionic lubricant, and cationic lubricant over the organo-silane treated glass fiber surface; dissolving the nonionic lubricants and cationic lubricant out of the coating with a mutual solvent but in which the silane is not dissolvable to expose the silane treated surface of the glass fibers; and bonding a matrix resin prepolymer to the silane treated surface of the glass fibers.

Claim 14

The process of producing glass fibers for a reinforcement of a laminating resin containing a solvent from the group consisting of benzene and/or styrene, and wherein essentially bare glass fibers are coated with a size, and are then wound into a package, and following which the fibers are run through machinery and embedded into a prepolymer of the laminating resin, the improvement comprising: applying swollen and unburst starch granules, emulsified particles of a nonionic lubricant, a water soluble cationic organic lubricant, and an organo-silane coupling agent having a radical that is reactive with said laminating resin prepolymer to glass fibers that are generally devoid of interferring films in a manner causing said organo-silane to treat the glass and form a coating of particles of starch, nonionic lubricant, and cationic lubricant over the organo-silane treated glass fiber surface; causing the coated fibers to be embedded in a solution of said laminating resin containing benzene and/or styrene to Dissolve the cationic and nonionic lubricants from between the starch granules, and causing the laminating resin to harden insitu with the organo-silane treated glass fibers.

Claim 15

The process of producing glass fibers for a reinforcement of a laminating resin containing a solvent from the group consisting of benzene and/or styrene, and wherein essentially bare glass fibers are coated with a size, and are then wound into a package, and following which the fibers are run through machinery and embedded into a prepolymer of the laminating resin, the improvement comprising: applying swollen and unburst starch granules, emulsified particles of a nonionic lubricant, a water soluble cationic organic lubricant, and an organo-silane coupling agent having a radical that is reactive with said laminating resin prepolymer to glass fibers that are generally devoid of interferring films in a manner causing said organo-silane to treat the glass and form a coating of particles of starch, nonionic lubricant, and cationic lubricant over the organo-silane treated glass fiber surface; causing the coated fibers to be embedded in a solution of said laminating resin containing benzene and/or styrene to Dissolve the cationic and nonionic lubricants from between the starch granules, and causing the laminating resin to harden insitu with the organo-silane treated glass fibers.