How does continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic unidirectional strip prepreg work ?

CFRT is the abbreviation for continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic unidirectional prepreg. Its English name is continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic prepreg.

Thermosetting prepreg

Thermoplastic prepreg tape

If we only understand from the word 'prepreg', we can distinguish between prepreg and prepreg tape. The former is thermosetting, while the latter is thermoplastic.

Our common prepreg is made of carbon fiber, with the first layer being a PE film, the second layer being carbon fiber+epoxy resin, and the third layer being release paper. Mainly used for aerospace and coating applications.

Structure of prepreg

Thermoplastic unidirectional prepreg tape is a type of tape made of glass fiber and resin composite, which is hard to feel, so it is called engineering plastic. Can be used for military, wind power generation, RTP flexible pipelines, refrigerated container manufacturing, and so on.

There are many methods for preparing engineering plastics, and today we will talk about the pre impregnation tape production line using the melt impregnation method.

The pre impregnation belt production line is mainly operated by the processes of fiber yarn frame, yarn spreading, traction, ceramic oven, mold, extruder, shaping cooling, edge cutting, and winding.

Firstly, the fibers are placed on the yarn frame and separated using a comb like device. In the CFRT industry, they are called yarn spreading or W-shaped knocker separation and enter the ceramic oven through traction and other workstations.

When the glass fiber yarn is walking, the extruder also needs to work, grinding PP/PET/PC/nylon/PPS and other resins into powder, and then heating and extruding to prepare unidirectional prepreg tape compounded with glass fiber.

Extruder

Resin

After the prepreg tape is prepared, it needs to be trimmed to ensure the cleanliness of the edges.
After winding, CFRT unidirectional prepreg tape can be prepared.

Glass fiber tape

Carbon fiber tape

Glass fiber tape material

Carbon fiber cutting machine

Fibers can be mixed with different resins to form unidirectional prepreg tapes:
*PP+GF glass fiber reinforced polypropylene is commonly used in RTP pipelines, Qingfeng cold freezers, and CFRT composite honeycomb panels.
*PC+GF glass fiber reinforced polycarbonate, commonly used in the manufacturing of car casings, laptops, etc
*PET+GF fiber reinforced polyethylene terephthalate
Different applications have different requirements.