JPH06200460A - Fiber composite product - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To obtain a fiber composite which does not show unevenness on the surface when heated and press-molded and can obtain an excellent smooth surface. In a fiber composite composed of glass fibers and a thermoplastic resin and having a large number of voids throughout, a core layer 2 in which a thick inorganic fiber 1 having a diameter of 17 μm is mainly present, and both sides of the core layer 2 are mainly The surface layer 4 on which the fine inorganic fibers 3 having a diameter of 10 μm are present.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fiber composite used for interior materials for automobiles and interior materials for construction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, the above interior materials are required to be lightweight and have excellent properties such as rigidity, heat resistance and moldability. Conventionally, as a material of this type, a fiber composite made of a relatively fine inorganic fiber having a diameter of 10 μm and a thermoplastic resin and having a large number of voids throughout is known (see JP-A-1-156562).

[0003]

When heating and press-molding, when the fiber composite expands due to heating and its thickness increases, a thick fiber composite is compressed during molding, so that a smooth surface is obtained. In addition, in the case of deep drawing, its shape appears sharply. In the above-mentioned conventional fiber composite, since the diameter of the inorganic fiber is comparatively thin, there is an advantage that unevenness does not appear on the surface, but on the other hand, the thickness thereof does not increase so much even when heated during press molding.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fiber composite which, when heated and press-molded, does not show irregularities on the surface and can obtain an excellent smooth surface.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a fiber composite composed of inorganic fibers and a thermoplastic resin and having a large number of voids throughout, thick inorganic fibers mainly having a diameter of 13 μm or more are present. It is characterized by comprising a core layer and a surface layer on which at least one of the both surfaces of the core layer mainly contains fine inorganic fibers having a diameter of less than 13 μm.

According to the invention of claim 2, in a fiber composite comprising inorganic fibers and a thermoplastic resin and having a large number of voids throughout, a thick inorganic fiber having a diameter of 13 μm or more and a thin inorganic fiber having a diameter of less than 13 μm. Is 2:
It is mixed in a ratio of 8 to 8: 2 and has a porosity of 90 to 9
A core layer of 6% and a surface layer having a porosity of 70 to less than 90% are provided on at least one surface of both surfaces of the core layer.

According to the first aspect of the invention, the thick inorganic fiber having a diameter of 13 μm or more is mainly used for the core layer, whereby the elasticity of the fiber composite is increased and the thickness thereof is greatly increased when heated. To blame, 1
This is because if it is less than 3 μm, this cannot be expected sufficiently, but a more preferable diameter is 17 to 21 μm.

Further, the reason why the thin inorganic fiber having a diameter of less than 13 μm is mainly used for the surface layer is to prevent unevenness from appearing on the surface after press molding, and if it is 13 μm or more, this cannot be expected sufficiently. However, a preferable diameter is 6 to 11 μm, and a more preferable diameter is 7 μm.
10 to 10 μm.

In the invention of claim 2, thick inorganic fibers having a diameter of 13 μm or more and fine inorganic fibers having a diameter of less than 13 μm are mixed at a ratio of 2: 8 to 8: 2 because of the thick inorganic fibers. This is because the elasticity of the fiber composite is increased and the thickness thereof is greatly increased when heated, so that unevenness does not appear on the surface after press molding by mixing fine inorganic fibers. And
The mixing ratio is changed within the above range depending on the required increase in the thickness of the fiber composite. Then, in order to obtain good surface properties, it is preferable that the fine inorganic fibers are contained in an amount of 10 to 70% by weight of the fiber composite. Further, in terms of strength, it is preferable that the thermoplastic resin is contained in an amount of 30 to 80% by weight, and a more preferable content is 45 to 70% by weight.

Since the surface layer needs strength, it is preferable that the porosity is small. If the porosity is small, that is, the density is high,
Not only the fine inorganic fibers but also the thick inorganic fibers are suppressed in elasticity, and the surface property can be improved. However, if it is too small, the material will be excessively concentrated on the surface layer and the strength of the core layer will eventually be reduced. Therefore, a range of 70 to less than 90% is required, and a preferable range is 80 to 86%.

Further, since the porosity of the core layer is set to 90 to 96%, it is guaranteed that the thick inorganic fibers are less likely to be bound by the thermoplastic resin and the elasticity of the fiber composite is increased.
This is not guaranteed when the porosity is less than 90%. The preferable range of the porosity of the core layer is 91 to 94%.

As the inorganic fiber, for example, glass fiber,
Examples thereof include carbon fibers, and the length thereof is preferably 5 to 200 mm from the viewpoint of moldability of the mat-like material described later.

Examples of the thermoplastic resin include polyeletin, polypropylene, saturated polyester, polyamide, vinyl chloride and the like. When the fiber composite is obtained from the mat-like material described later, it is necessary to laminate it on both sides thereof as films. The thickness of this film can be appropriately determined by the ratio with the inorganic fibers constituting the mat-like material. The fiber composite is obtained from a mat-like material, and the method for producing the mat-like material is arbitrary, and examples thereof include a method in which inorganic fibers are supplied to a card machine, defibrated, mixed, and needle punched. . Needle punch density is 1 cm ²
30 to 200 is preferable. In order to bond the inorganic fibers or increase the bulk of the mat-like material, polyethylene, polypropylene, saturated polyester, polyamide,
Thermoplastic organic fibers such as polyacrylonitrile may be added.

In the invention of claim 1, when forming the surface layer on only one side of the core layer, two or more card machines are prepared, and when forming the surface layer on both sides of the core layer, three or more card machines are provided. Prepare and line them up towards one side of the belt conveyor. Then, in the former case, one end of the card machine is supplied, and in the latter case, both ends of the card machine are supplied with thin inorganic fibers, while the remaining card machines are supplied with thick inorganic fibers, and the card machines are defibrated, mixed, and discharged The formed paper-like materials are stacked while being folded, and then needle punched to obtain a mat-like material. By hitting with a needle punch, a part of the thick fiber of the core layer is oriented in the surface layer and a part of the thin fiber of the surface layer is oriented in the thickness direction of the core layer. Absent. The thickness of the surface layer is 10 to 40% of the total thickness in the case of one side, and in the case of both sides,
10-40% is suitable on one side.

In the fiber composite, a thermoplastic resin film is laminated on both surfaces of the mat-like material, and the mixture is heated and pressed to melt the thermoplastic resin, which is then impregnated into the mat-like material so that the impregnated resin is melted. It is obtained by pulling the laminate in the thickness direction to inflate it while it is still there.

When the obtained fiber composite is used as an automobile interior material or a building member, the resin is melted by heating, compressed, shaped and cooled to obtain a predetermined component. In addition,
At the time of molding, a cosmetic skin material such as vinyl chloride leather, a non-woven fabric, or a woven fabric may be laminated.

Although there is an unclear reason why the thickness increases when the fiber composite of the present invention is heated, the inorganic fiber is bent by compression by the above needle punching treatment, and this is caused by heating. It is presumed that this is due to the attempt to restore the original state due to melting.

[0018]

According to the invention of claim 1, in a fiber composite comprising an inorganic fiber and a thermoplastic resin and having a large number of voids throughout, a core layer in which a thick inorganic fiber having a diameter of 13 μm or more exists, and a core layer. Since at least one of the both surfaces is provided with a surface layer on which thin inorganic fibers mainly having a diameter of less than 13 μm are present, the presence of the thick inorganic fibers in the core layer increases the elasticity of the fiber composite,
When heated, its thickness increases significantly, and since the inorganic fibers existing in the surface layer are thin, no unevenness appears on the surface after press molding.

A second aspect of the present invention is a fiber composite comprising inorganic fibers and a thermoplastic resin and having a large number of voids throughout, a thick inorganic fiber having a diameter of 13 μm or more and a thin inorganic fiber having a diameter of less than 13 μm. Is 2:
It is mixed in a ratio of 8 to 8: 2 and has a porosity of 90 to 9
Since a core layer of 6% and a surface layer having a porosity of 70 to less than 90% are provided on at least one surface of both surfaces of the core layer, the elasticity of the fiber composite becomes large due to the thick inorganic fibers, and when heated, The thickness is greatly increased, and since fine inorganic fibers are mixed, no unevenness appears on the surface after press molding.

[0020]

First, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Example 1 This example is shown in FIG. 1, in which the fiber composite (A) is a fiber composite composed of inorganic fibers and a thermoplastic resin and having a large number of voids throughout. Therefore, a core layer (2) having a thick inorganic fiber (1) having a diameter of 17 μm or more and a core layer (2) are provided on both sides of the core layer (2).
Surface layer with fine inorganic fibers having a diameter of m or less (4)
Glass fiber is used as the inorganic fiber, and a mixture of polypropylene and polyethylene is used as the thermoplastic resin. Upper surface layer (4), core layer
The thickness ratios of (2) and the lower surface layer (2) are 30%, 40% and 30%.

The fiber composite (A) is manufactured as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, three card machines (5), (6), and (7) are prepared, and these are arranged in parallel toward one side of the belt conveyor (8). Then, in the first and third card machines (5) (7), the diameter is 10 μm.
Thin glass fibers (3) and polypropylene fibers with a diameter of 10 μm are supplied in a weight ratio of 3: 1, and thick glass fibers with a diameter of 17 μm are supplied to the second card machine (6).
(1) and polypropylene fiber with a diameter of 10 μm in a weight ratio of 3:
It is supplied at a rate of 1, and after being defibrated and mixed by these card machines (5) to (7), the ejected paper-like material is folded on the belt conveyor (8) at a rate of 150 g / m ^2. They were laminated and then punched with a needle punch (9) at a density of 70 points / cm ² to obtain a mat-like material (10). A polyethylene film having a thickness of 130 μm is laminated on both sides of the mat-like material (10), and the obtained laminate is sandwiched between two polytetrafluoroethylene films to 200 ° C.
After heating for 3 minutes at 200 ° C., press at 5 kg / cm ² with a press heated at 200 ° C. and compress to 0.8 mm for 10 seconds. While keeping at 200 ° C., vacuum the both sides of the polytetrafluoroethylene film in the thickness direction. It was obtained by peeling and removing the polytetrafluoroethylene film by inhaling and pulling to swell the laminate to a thickness of 3 mm and then cooling.

Example 2 The fiber composite of this example is similar to that of Example 1 except that the core layer is
Example 1 is the same as Example 1 except that one surface layer (4) of (2) has the same structure as that of the core layer (2).
Except that the thin glass fiber (3) was supplied only to the second card machine (5) and the thick glass fiber (1) was supplied to the second and third card machines (6) and (7). It is similar to the case.

Comparative Example 1 The fiber composite of this Comparative Example is the same as that of Example 1 except that the core layer
Except that (2) has the same structure as both surface layers (4), it is the same as in Example 1, and its manufacturing method is the same as that of the first to third card machines (5) to (7). The procedure is the same as in Example 1 except that the fine glass fibers (3) are supplied to all of them.

Comparative Example 2 The fiber composite of this Comparative Example is the same as Example 1 except that both surface layers (4) have the same structure as the core layer (2).
The manufacturing method is the same as in Example 1 except that the thick glass fiber (1) is supplied to all of the first to third card machines (5) to (7). Is.

Next, an embodiment of the invention of claim 2 will be described.

Example 3 This example is shown in FIG. 3, in which the fiber composite (B) is composed of inorganic fibers and a thermoplastic resin and has a large number of voids throughout. A thick inorganic fiber (11) having a diameter of 17 μm and a thin inorganic fiber (12) having a diameter of 10 μm are mixed in a ratio of 7: 3, and a core layer (13) having a porosity of 92% and a core layer A surface layer (14) having a porosity of 85% is provided on both surfaces of (13), glass fiber is used as the inorganic fiber, and a mixture of polypropylene and polyethylene is used as the thermoplastic resin. The thickness ratio of the upper surface layer (14), the core layer (13) and the lower surface layer (14) is 2
0%, 60% and 20%.

The fiber composite (B) can be manufactured as follows. In other words, the diameter of the card machine is 17μ
m glass fiber, a glass fiber having a diameter of 10 μm, and a polypropylene fiber having a diameter of 10 μm, in a weight ratio of 4.9: 2.
Supplied as 1: 3, hitting needle punch 450g
A mat-like product having a thickness of / m @ 2 was obtained. Thickness 1 on both sides of mat
A 30 μm polyethylene film was laminated, and the obtained laminate was sandwiched between two polytetrafluoroethylene films, heated at 200 ° C. for 3 minutes, and then pressed at 5 kg / cm ² by a press heated at 200 ° C. 0.8 mm
Compress for 10 seconds, hold the temperature at 200 ° C, and vacuum suction the polytetrafluoroethylene film on both sides in the thickness direction to pull it, swell the laminate to a thickness of 3 mm, and then cool to laminate the polytetrafluoroethylene film. It was obtained by peeling off from the object.

Example 4 In the fiber composite of this example, the weight ratio of thick glass fiber (11) to thin glass fiber (12) in Example 3 was 5:
5, except that the weight ratio of thick glass fiber, thin glass fiber, and polypropylene fiber was 3.5: 3.5: 3. The same as in the third embodiment. Example 5 In the fiber composite of this example, the weight ratio of the thick glass fiber (11) to the thin glass fiber (12) in Example 3 was 3:
Example 7 is the same as Example 3 except that the weight ratio of thick glass fiber, thin glass fiber and polypropylene fiber was 2.1: 4.9: 3. The same as in the third embodiment. Comparative Example 3 The fiber composite of this Comparative Example was the same as Example 3 except that glass fibers having a diameter of 10 μm were used.

Comparative Example 4 The fiber composite of this Comparative Example is the same as Example 3 except that glass fibers having a diameter of 17 μm were used.

Comparative Example 5 The fiber composite of this Comparative Example was the same as Example 3 except that glass fibers having a diameter of 10 μm were used, and the thickness was not expanded in the manufacturing method. Same as Example 3.

Comparative Example 6 The fiber composite of this Comparative Example was the same as Example 3 except that glass fibers having a diameter of 17 μm were used, and the thickness was not expanded in the manufacturing method. Same as Example 3.

The fiber composites of the above Examples and Comparative Examples were heated to 180 ° C. and the expanded thickness was measured. In addition, the expanded fiber composite is cold pressed into a flat plate shape with a clearance of 5 mm, and the thickness of the cooled fiber composite is measured at 30 points,
The average and standard deviation were calculated. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0034]

[Table 1] In Table 1, a large standard deviation means that there are large variations in thickness and there are many irregularities on the surface. In addition, an insufficient thickness after heat expansion indicates that the surface is not easily smoothed because it is not compressed even if pressed.

[0035]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION According to the fiber composite of the present invention, when the thick inorganic fibers are heated and press-molded, the thickness is greatly increased during heating, so that an excellent smooth surface can be obtained after pressing and thin The moldability is extremely good, with no irregularities appearing on the surface due to the inorganic fibers.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of the invention of claim 1.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an apparatus for producing a mat-like material used for the fiber composite according to the invention of claim 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing an embodiment of the invention of claim 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 (A) (B): Fiber composite (1) (11): Thick inorganic fiber (2) (13): Core layer (3) (12): Thin inorganic fiber (4) (14): Surface layer

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display area // B60R 13/02 ZE04F 13/16 A 9127-2E

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A fiber composite comprising inorganic fibers and a thermoplastic resin and having a large number of voids throughout,
A core layer having mainly thick inorganic fibers having a diameter of 13 μm or more, and a surface layer having mainly thin inorganic fibers having a diameter of less than 13 μm on at least one surface of both sides of the core layer. Fiber composites. 2. A fiber composite comprising inorganic fibers and a thermoplastic resin and having a large number of voids throughout,
Thick inorganic fibers having a diameter of 13 μm or more and fine inorganic fibers having a diameter of less than 13 μm are mixed at a ratio of 2: 8 to 8: 2, and the void ratio is 90 to 96%. Porosity of 70-90% on at least one surface of both surfaces
And a surface layer of less than.