Method of making corrosion resistant metal fiber reinforced plastic composites

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MAKING CORROSION RESISTANT METAL REINFORCED PLASTIC COMPOSITITES COMPRISING: A. SEVERING FERROUS METAL WIRES INTO DISCRETE SEGMENTS OF FERROUS METAL FIBERS, . SEVERING SACRIFICIAL METAL WIRES HAVING A GREATER ELECTRONEGATIVITY THAN IRON INTO DISCRETE SEGMENTS OF SACRIFICAL METAL FIBERS, C. UNIFORMLY BLENDING FOR A TIME IN A BLENDING APPARATUS PREFETERMINED PROPORTIONS OF THE SEGMENTED FERROUS METAL FIBERS, THE SEGMENTED SACRIFICIAL METAL FIBERS AND DRY GRANULES OF A RESIN SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THERMOPLASTIC AND THERMOSETTING RESINS TOGETHER INTO A UNIFORM MIX OF FERROUS METAL FIBERS, SACRIFICIAL METAL FIBERS AND RESIN IN A RATIO IN A UNIFORM DRY MIX SUCH THAT UPON SUBSEQUENT FUSION AND SOLIDFICATION OF THE RESIN THE RELATIVE PERCENTAGES AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE FERROUS FIBERS AND SACRIFICAL METAL FIBERS IN THE SOLIDIFIED RESIN ARE SUCH THAT SUBSTANTIALLY NO FERROUS FIBER IS SPACED FROM A SACRIICIAL METAL FIBER ALONG A CUT SURFACE OF THE SOLIDIFIED COMPOSITE MORE THAN THE DISTANCE EFFECTIVE TO FROM A GALVANIC CORROSION COUPLE BETWEEN SUBSTANTIALLY EACH FERROUS FIBER AND THE NEAREST SACRIFICIAL METAL FIBER AND THE FERROUS FIBERS ARE IN AT LEAST OCCASIONAL ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH THE SACRIFICIAL METAL FIBERS THROUGHOUT THE SOLIDIFIED RESIN, D. DIRECTING SAID BLEND OF FERROUS METAL FIBERS, SACRIFICIAL METAL FIBERS AND RESIN GRANULES INTO A MOLDING DEVICE, E. HEATING AND PRESSURIZING THE RESIN GRANULES IN SAID MOLDING DEVICE TO FUSE AND COALESCE SAID RESIN INTO A PLASTIC MATAX THROUGH WHICH SAID FERROUS AND SACRIFICIAL METAL FIBERS ARE UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED IN THE RELATIONSHIP DESCRIBED IN STEP (C) ABOVE, AND F. COOLING SAID PLASTIC MATRIX TO CAUSE SOLIDIFICATION OF SAID PLASTIC MATRIX ABOUT SAID FERROUS AND SACRIFICIAL METAL FIBERS TO FORM A METAL REINFORCED PLASTIC COMPOSITE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MAKING CORROSION RESISTANT METAL REINFORCED PLASTIC COMPOSITITES COMPRISING: A. SEVERING FERROUS METAL WIRES INTO DISCRETE SEGMENTS OF FERROUS METAL FIBERS, . SEVERING SACRIFICIAL METAL WIRES HAVING A GREATER ELECTRONEGATIVITY THAN IRON INTO DISCRETE SEGMENTS OF SACRIFICAL METAL FIBERS, C. UNIFORMLY BLENDING FOR A TIME IN A BLENDING APPARATUS PREFETERMINED PROPORTIONS OF THE SEGMENTED FERROUS METAL FIBERS, THE SEGMENTED SACRIFICIAL METAL FIBERS AND DRY GRANULES OF A RESIN SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THERMOPLASTIC AND THERMOSETTING RESINS TOGETHER INTO A UNIFORM MIX OF FERROUS METAL FIBERS, SACRIFICIAL METAL FIBERS AND RESIN IN A RATIO IN A UNIFORM DRY MIX SUCH THAT UPON SUBSEQUENT FUSION AND SOLIDFICATION OF THE RESIN THE RELATIVE PERCENTAGES AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE FERROUS FIBERS AND SACRIFICAL METAL FIBERS IN THE SOLIDIFIED RESIN ARE SUCH THAT SUBSTANTIALLY NO FERROUS FIBER IS SPACED FROM A SACRIICIAL METAL FIBER ALONG A CUT SURFACE OF THE SOLIDIFIED COMPOSITE MORE THAN THE DISTANCE EFFECTIVE TO FROM A GALVANIC CORROSION COUPLE BETWEEN SUBSTANTIALLY EACH FERROUS FIBER AND THE NEAREST SACRIFICIAL METAL FIBER AND THE FERROUS FIBERS ARE IN AT LEAST OCCASIONAL ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH THE SACRIFICIAL METAL FIBERS THROUGHOUT THE SOLIDIFIED RESIN, D. DIRECTING SAID BLEND OF FERROUS METAL FIBERS, SACRIFICIAL METAL FIBERS AND RESIN GRANULES INTO A MOLDING DEVICE, E. HEATING AND PRESSURIZING THE RESIN GRANULES IN SAID MOLDING DEVICE TO FUSE AND COALESCE SAID RESIN INTO A PLASTIC MATAX THROUGH WHICH SAID FERROUS AND SACRIFICIAL METAL FIBERS ARE UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED IN THE RELATIONSHIP DESCRIBED IN STEP (C) ABOVE, AND F. COOLING SAID PLASTIC MATRIX TO CAUSE SOLIDIFICATION OF SAID PLASTIC MATRIX ABOUT SAID FERROUS AND SACRIFICIAL METAL FIBERS TO FORM A METAL REINFORCED PLASTIC COMPOSITE.

Claim 8

A method of making a corrosion resistant metal reinforced plastic composite comprising: a. chopping steel wool into descrete segments of ferrous metal fibers, b. chopping a metal wool comprised of a sacrificial metal having a greater electronegativity than iron into discrete segments of sacrificial metal fibers, c. uniformly blending for a time in a blending apparatus predetermined proportions of the segmented ferrous metal fibers, the segmented sacrificial metal fibers and dry granules of a resin selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic and thermosetting resins together into a uniform mix of ferrous metal fibers, sacrificial metal fibers and resin in a ratio in a uniform dry mix such that upon subsequent fusion and solidification of the resin the relative percentages and distribution of the ferrous fibers and sacrificial metal fibers in the solidified resin are such that substantially no ferrous metal fiber is spaced from a sacrificial metal fiber along a cut surface of the solidified composite more than the distance effective to form a galvanic corrosion couple between substantially each ferrous metal fiber and the nearest sacrificial metal fiber and the ferrous fibers are in at least occasional electrical contact with the sacrificial metal fibers throughout the solidified resin, d. directing said blend of ferrous fibers, sacrificial metal fibers and resin granules into a mold, e. heating and pressurizing the resin granules in said mold to fuse and coalesce said resin into a plastic matrix throughout which said ferrous and sacrificial metal fibers are uniformly distributed in the relationship described in step (c) above, and f. cooling said plastic matrix to cause solidification of the plastic matrix about the ferrous and sacrificial metal fibers in said mold and subsequently removing the solidified corrosion resistant metal reinforced plastic composite therefrom.

Claim 9

A method of making a corrosion resistant metal reinforced plastic composite comprising: a. chopping steel wool into descrete segments of ferrous metal fibers, b. chopping a metal wool comprised of a sacrificial metal having a greater electronegativity than iron into discrete segments of sacrificial metal fibers, c. uniformly blending for a time in a blending apparatus predetermined proportions of the segmented ferrous metal fibers, the segmented sacrificial metal fibers and dry granules of a resin selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic and thermosetting resins together into a uniform mix of ferrous metal fibers, sacrificial metal fibers and resin in a ratio in a uniform dry mix such that upon subsequent fusion and solidification of the resin the relative percentages and distribution of the ferrous fibers and sacrificial metal fibers in the solidified resin are such that substantially no ferrous metal fiber is spaced from a sacrificial metal fiber along a cut surface of the solidified composite more than the distance effective to form a galvanic corrosion couple between substantially each ferrous metal fiber and the nearest sacrificial metal fiber and the ferrous fibers are in at least occasional electrical contact with the sacrificial metal fibers throughout the solidified resin, d. directing said blend of ferrous fibers, sacrificial metal fibers and resin granules into a mold, e. heating and pressurizing the resin granules in said mold to fuse and coalesce said resin into a plastic matrix throughout which said ferrous and sacrificial metal fibers are uniformly distributed in the relationship described in step (c) above, and f. cooling said plastic matrix to cause solidification of the plastic matrix about the ferrous and sacrificial metal fibers in said mold and subsequently removing the solidified corrosion resistant metal reinforced plastic composite therefrom.