PROCESS FOR MAKING A CONTINUOUS COWOUND FIBER REINFORCED THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITE ARTICLE

摘要

An article, such as a composite tennis racquet frame, is formed by cowinding one or more tows (11) of reinforcement fibers with one or more tows (12, 13) of thermoplastic filaments, and then molding the cowound tow (14) at a temperature and pressure sufficient to melt the thermoplastic and force the thermoplastic between the fibers. Each reinforcement fiber tow (11) has a filament count of 6k or less and having diameters of 30 microns or less. Each thermoplastic fiber tow (12, 13) has a filament count between 20 and 1000, a denier between 50 and 5000, and a zero shear rate viscosity, at or above the melting temperature, in the range of 100 poise to 3000 poise. Preferably, the cowound tow (14) is wrapped with a serving of thermoplastic filaments (15) prior to molding. Cowound tows (16) may be formed into a pre-mold body, such as a sleeve (26), by braiding, weaving and the like, which is thereafter heated to melt the thermoplastic, consolidated with pressure to impregnate the reinforcing fibers, and form a molded article.