Method of Molding Thick Parts of Fibrous-Ply-Reinforced Resin

This invention relates to the molding of reinforced plastic parts up to two inches thick, the reinforcement comprising a plurality of stacked fibrous plies.

Prior to my invention, thick molded parts of fibrous-ply-reinforced resin were subject to having internal cracks, voids, or poor lamination.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,261, issued to John L. Canning and John F. Kay on Sept. 13, 1983, discloses molding of multiple plies of sheet molding compound reinforced with chopped glass roving, each ply having its own formulation with respect to polymerization initiating temperature, and the center ply having the lowest such temperature with successive plies in each direction having progressively higher such temperatures, whereby all plies begin to cure about at the same time from the heat of the mold.

In accordance with the invention, chemically activated resin is injected into a mold containing upper and lower stacks of unimpregnated fibrous reinforcement plies having a core of fibrous reinforcement plies therebetween preimpregnated with a heat-activable resin. The curing of the heat-activable resin of the core is initiated by the exothermal reaction of the chemically activated injected resin.

The invention is more fully explained hereinafter, reference being taken to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded vertical sectional view illustrating the process of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical sectional view of an article molded by the process of the invention.

With reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates the molding process of the invention. A mold 20 includes a lower portion 20a and an upper portion 20b. As a first step, several unimpregnated fibrous reinforcement plies are stacked in place in the lower mold portion 20a. Preferably, the reinforcement plies are made of glass fibers. As an example, there may be twelve woven glass roving plies 22 interleaved between thirteen continuous glass strand plies 24. For simplicity, only two plies 22 and three plies 24 are shown. Then a core 26 is placed on top of the stacked plies 22 and 24. The core 26 comprises a plurality (for example, twenty-four, with only three being shown) of stacked preimpregnated fibrous reinforcement plies 28, preferably of glass fiber and preferably of woven glass roving, preimpregnated with a heat-activable thickened thermosetting resin (e.g., polyester resin), including a low-temperature (e.g., 150.degree. F.) catalyst. The core 26 may be provided with vertically extending flow-through vents 26a. After the core 26 is in place, several more fibrous reinforcement plies are stacked on top of the core. Preferably, the latter plies are also made of glass fibers. As an example, there may be twelve plies 30 of woven glass roving interleaved between thirteen continuous glass strand plies 32, identical to the arrangement of plies 22 and 24 below the core 26.

The upper mold portion 20b of the mold 20 is then secured in place by suitable fastening means (not shown). The mold 20 is preferably insulated by insulating material 34, and even more preferably, it is maintained at a temperature of about 150.degree. F. by suitable heating means such as hot water coils or electrical resistance heaters (not shown). Chemically activated thermosetting resin such as polyester resin with conventional catalysts, promoters, and initiators as additives is then injected under pressure through a nozzle 36 and an aperture 20c in the upper mold portion 20b, to impregnate the plies 22, 24, 30, and 32. Leakage of some resin through vents 20d in the lower mold portion 20a indicates that the mold 20 is full and that no more resin should be injected. The heat given off by the chemically activated resin initiates curing of the resin of the core 26. The insulation 34 and the heating means (not shown) for the mold 20 prevent excessive heat loss from the chemically activated resin to the mold, whereby sufficient heat from the chemically activated resin is available to cure the resin of the core 26. After all the resin is cured and cooled, the molded part is removed from the mold 20 and is free of internal cracks. The molding method allows large integrated structures to be molded.

Various modifications may be made in the method described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.