Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
A process for producing a composite material of filler-reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) resin, said process comprising the steps of: (a) coating a plurality of filler particles with a coating material having a viscosity at the softening temperature of PTFE not greater than 5×10 9 pascal seconds, said coating material being selected from the group consisting of perfluoroalkoxy copolymer (PFA), tetrafluroethylene-perfluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), and mixtures of PFA and FEP; (b) mixing the coated filler particles from part (a) with PTFE; (c) shaping the mixture from part (b) into the desired shape of the final composite; and (d) heating the shaped mixture from part (c) to a temperature at least as high as the softening point of PTFE so as to form a coherent composite.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
122 words
A process for producing a composite material of filler-reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) resin, said process comprising the steps of: (a) coating a plurality of filler particles with a coating material having a viscosity at the softening temperature of PTFE not greater than 5×10 9 pascal seconds, said coating material being selected from the group consisting of perfluoroalkoxy copolymer (PFA), tetrafluroethylene-perfluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), and mixtures of PFA and FEP; (b) mixing the coated filler particles from part (a) with PTFE; (c) shaping the mixture from part (b) into the desired shape of the final composite; and (d) heating the shaped mixture from part (c) to a temperature at least as high as the softening point of PTFE so as to form a coherent composite.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of filter particles comprises at least 15% by weight of the total composite material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
71 words
A process according to claim 2, wherein said coating step comprises the following sub-steps: (a) mixing said coating material into a dispersing liquid to form a dispersion; (b) soaking said filler particles in said dispersion; (c) separating said soaked filler particles from said dispersion; and (d) expelling said dispersing liquid from said soaked filler particles in such a manner as to produce solid discrete coated filler particles for mixing with PTFE.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
71 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said coating step comprises the following sub-steps: (a) mixing said coating material into a dispersing liquid to form a dispersion; (b) soaking said filler particles in said dispersion; (c) separating said soaked filler particles from said dispersion; and (d) expelling said dispersing liquid from said soaked filler particles in such a manner as to produce solid discrete coated filler particles for mixing with PTFE.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process according to claim 4, wherein said PTFE is in powder form when first mixed with said coated filler particles.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
103 words
A process according to claim 5, wherein said filler particles are fibers of Type E glass with a fiber diameter of about 15 microns and a ratio of length to diameter of about 100, said fibers are desized by exposure to a temperature of at least 450° C. for at least twelve hours and after desizing are etched with hydrofluoric acid and rinsed before being mixed with said material for coating, and said material for coating is FEP and is dispersed to a concentration of not more than 10 percent in water before being used to coat said desized and etched filler fibers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
74 words
A process according to claim 5, wherein said filler particles are glass balls with a diameter of about 40 microns; said balls are etched with hydrofluoric acid, rinsed, and primed with an organometallic primer before being mixed with said material for coating, and said material for coating is PFA and is dispersed to a concentration of not more than 20 percent in water before being used to coat said desized and etched filler balls.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process according to claim 3, wherein said PTFE is in powder form when first mixed with said coated filler particles.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said filler particles are thermally pretreated before being coated according to step (a).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said filler particles are precoated with a primer to increase adhesion before being coated according to step (a).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said filler particles are metal, glass, or ceramic material and are roughened by etching before being coated according to step (a).