Method of making molding compounds and products produced thereby

Claim 2

A new and improved method of producing molding compounds comprising: mixing an aldehyde and a hydrogen donor for producing alkanol groups therewith with a major proportion of a water wettable inorganic filler and catalyst for the reaction, the materials being present in proportions capable of producing the infusible thermoset condition, controlling the amount of water present to maintain the consistency of a paste, causing a polymerization reaction to be initiated in the paste between the aldehyde and hydrogen donor, kneading the paste at a controlled rate to control the reaction of the aldehyde and hydrogen donor in the paste, and cooling the paste to stop the polymerization reaction while the materials are still a paste.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein said aldehyde and hydrogen donor are prereacted insitu around the filler short of a B-stage resin to provide a paste having a viscosity of less than 50,000 poise, the paste is made into a sheet molding compound with water wettable mineral fibers as a reinforcement, and following which the sheet molding compound is heated to dry and B-stage the resin on the surface of the inert filler and fibers.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein said aldehyde and hydrogen donor are slowly kneaded with the inert filler in a progressive cavity pump and finally cooled to control and stop the reaction and provide a paste viscosity of less than 50,000 poise.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein the aldehyde is paraformaldehyde.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 wherein the hydrogen donor is a phenol material.

Claim 7

The method of claim 2 wherein said aldehyde is formalin.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 wherein the paste is cooled to arrest the polymerization reaction at a paste viscosity between approximately 20,000 and 50,000 centipoise.

Claim 9

The method of claim 7 wherein said paste is kneaded by a progressive cavity pump and the reaction is controlled by the rotation of the rotor and cavity housing of the pump.

Claim 10

A new and improved method of making sheet molding compound comprising: mixing polymer forming monomers with an inorganic filler and catalyst for the polymerization reaction, the materials being present in proportions capable of producing the infusible thermoset condition, converting the mix into the consistency of a paste and initiating a polymerization reaction, kneading the paste at a controlled rate to control the rate of polymerization, cooling the paste to arrest the reaction short of a thermoset condition, forming a sheet molding compound of the paste with glass fibers, and drying the sheet molding compound to convert the material into a handleable state.

Claim 11

A new and improved method of making sheet molding compound comprising: mixing polymer forming monomers with an inorganic filler and catalyst for the polymerization reaction, the materials being present in proportions capable of producing the infusible thermoset condition, converting the mix into the consistency of a paste and initiating a polymerization reaction, kneading the paste at a controlled rate to control the rate of polymerization, cooling the paste to arrest the reaction short of a thermoset condition, forming a sheet molding compound of the paste with glass fibers, and drying the sheet molding compound to convert the material into a handleable state.

Claim 12

The method of claim 9 wherein the inert fillers comprise at least 50% by weight of the filler monomer mixture.

Claim 13

A new and improved method of making sheet molding compound comprising: mixing a water solvatable aldehyde and a water solvatable hydrogen donor for producing alkanol groups therewith with a water wettable inorganic filler and catalyst for the reaction, the materials being present in proportions capable of producing the infusible thermoset condition, converting the mix into the consistency of a paste and initiating a polymerization reaction, kneading the paste at a controlled rate to control the rate of polymerization, cooling the paste to arrest the reaction short of a thermoset condition, forming a sheet molding compound by mixing with water wettable mineral fibers, and drying the sheet molding compound to convert the material into a handleable state.

Claim 14

A new and improved method of making sheet molding compound comprising: mixing a water solvatable aldehyde and a water solvatable hydrogen donor for producing alkanol groups therewith with a water wettable inorganic filler and catalyst for the reaction, the materials being present in proportions capable of producing the infusible thermoset condition, converting the mix into the consistency of a paste and initiating a polymerization reaction, kneading the paste at a controlled rate to control the rate of polymerization, cooling the paste to arrest the reaction short of a thermoset condition, forming a sheet molding compound by mixing with water wettable mineral fibers, and drying the sheet molding compound to convert the material into a handleable state.

Claim 15

The method of claim 11 wherein the inert fillers comprise at least 50% by weight of the filler-aldehyde-hydrogen donor mixture.

Claim 16

The method of claim 12 wherein said aldehyde is paraformaldehyde.

Claim 17

The method of claim 12 wherein said aldehyde comprises formalin.

Claim 18

The method of claim 14 wherein said hydrogen donor is a phenol.

Claim 19

A new and improved method of producing molding compounds comprising: mixing a solid aldehyde and a solid hydrogen donor for producing alkanol groups therewith with solid inorganic fillers containing catalyst for the reaction, spreading the mixture of solids onto a moving belt along with fibrous reinforcement therefor partially reacting the aldehyde and hydrogen donor insitu around the filler and reinforcement into a filled prepolymer, and converting the filled prepolymer into a handleable sheet molding compound.

Claim 20

A new and improved method of producing molding compounds comprising: mixing a solid aldehyde and a solid hydrogen donor for producing alkanol groups therewith with solid inorganic fillers containing catalyst for the reaction, spreading the mixture of solids onto a moving belt along with fibrous reinforcement therefor partially reacting the aldehyde and hydrogen donor insitu around the filler and reinforcement into a filled prepolymer, and converting the filled prepolymer into a handleable sheet molding compound.

Claim 21

The method of claim 16 wherein the inorganic fillers comprise at least 50% by weight of the sheet molding compound.

Claim 22

The method of claim 17 wherein said hydrogen donor is a phenol and at least part of said aldehyde is paraformaldehyde.

Claim 23

A new and improved method of making sheet molding compound comprising: spreading a sticky aldehyde condensate prepolymer, filler and fiber reinforcement onto an impervious surface, covering the spread materials with another impervious surface and causing the fibers reinforcement to be embedded in the prepolymer and filler, reacting the prepolymer around the reinforcement, cooling the spread materials to stop the reaction at a sufficiently nonsticky state so that said other impervious surface can be removed, removing said other impervious surface, and heating the materials to react the prepolymer to a state wherein the materials are in a moldable, handleable state.

Claim 24

A new and improved method of making sheet molding compound comprising: spreading a sticky aldehyde condensate prepolymer, filler and fiber reinforcement onto an impervious surface, covering the spread materials with another impervious surface and causing the fibers reinforcement to be embedded in the prepolymer and filler, reacting the prepolymer around the reinforcement, cooling the spread materials to stop the reaction at a sufficiently nonsticky state so that said other impervious surface can be removed, removing said other impervious surface, and heating the materials to react the prepolymer to a state wherein the materials are in a moldable, handleable state.

Claim 25

The method of claim 19 wherein said prepolymer is a phenolic resole.

Claim 26

A new and improved method of producing molding compounds comprising: preparing a blend of dry solids that comprise inorganic water wettable fillers, a solid aldehyde and a solid hydrogen donor for the aldehyde, coverting the solids to a paste with water, initiating a reaction of the aldehyde and the hydrogen donor within the paste, kneading the paste to control the reaction, and cooling the paste to stop the reaction at an intermediate state of resinification wherein the paste has a viscosity below 50,000 poise.

Claim 27

A new and improved method of producing molding compounds comprising: preparing a blend of dry solids that comprise inorganic water wettable fillers, a solid aldehyde and a solid hydrogen donor for the aldehyde, coverting the solids to a paste with water, initiating a reaction of the aldehyde and the hydrogen donor within the paste, kneading the paste to control the reaction, and cooling the paste to stop the reaction at an intermediate state of resinification wherein the paste has a viscosity below 50,000 poise.

Claim 28

The method of claim 21 wherein the solids are dry blended and reacted in the absence of water.

Claim 29

A new and improved method of producing molding compounds comprising: preparing a blend of solids that comprise fillers and at least one of two resin forming monomers, feeding the blend of solids and remaining monomers to a continuous mixer and heat exchanger, converting any solid monomer present to a fluid state, reacting the now liquid monomers insitu on the surface of the fillers, cooling the blend to stop the reaction at an intermediate state of resinification, spreading the blend onto an impervious moving surface along with a fiber reinforcement, covering the spread material and fiber reinforcement with another impervious surface, heating the material between said impervious surfaces to further react the materials around the reinforcement, cooling the materials to a sufficiently nonsticky state that it can be separated from said other impervious surface, removing said other impervious surface, and finish reacting said materials to a nonsticky and handleable state.

Claim 30

A new and improved method of producing molding compounds comprising: preparing a blend of solids that comprise fillers and at least one of two resin forming monomers, feeding the blend of solids and remaining monomers to a continuous mixer and heat exchanger, converting any solid monomer present to a fluid state, reacting the now liquid monomers insitu on the surface of the fillers, cooling the blend to stop the reaction at an intermediate state of resinification, spreading the blend onto an impervious moving surface along with a fiber reinforcement, covering the spread material and fiber reinforcement with another impervious surface, heating the material between said impervious surfaces to further react the materials around the reinforcement, cooling the materials to a sufficiently nonsticky state that it can be separated from said other impervious surface, removing said other impervious surface, and finish reacting said materials to a nonsticky and handleable state.

Claim 31

The method of claim 23 wherein both monomers are solids and are blended together before addition to the heat exchanger.

Claim 32

The method of claim 23 wherein said monomers are aldehyde condensate forming materials.

Claim 33

The method of claim 25 wherein said one of said monomers is a phenol and the other of said monomers is an aldehyde.