SOLID-STATE STAMPING OF FIBER-REINFORCED THERMOPLASTIC SEMI-CRYSTALLINE SHEET COMPOSITES

摘要

Method for solid-state stamping of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites. Such method comprises: (a) restricting said thermoplastic to be a semi-crystalline thermoplastic polymeric material; (b) heating said composite in an oven to a temperature of less than the peak melting temperature of said polymeric material; (c) transferring said heated polymeric material from said oven to a mold and permitting said polymeric material to cool during said transferring; and (d) stamping said composite in said mold, the temperature of said composite at the commencement of stamping being less than the peak melting temperature but greater than the crystallization onset temperature of said composite, said temperatures determined by differential scanning calorimetry of said composite.