Report No. 51A REINFORCED PLASTICS Supplement A by WING SIEN FONG October 1973 A private report by the PROCESS ECONOMICS PROGRAM STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE I I MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA
CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION........................ 1 2 SUMMARY... 3 3 INDUSTRY STATUS... 9 Reinforced Plastics in the United States... 9 Reinforced Thermosets CRTS)... 9 Reinforced Thermoplastics (RTP)... 16 Transportation Market... 21 Building Market... 27 Pipe Market... 28 Reinforced Plastics in Australia... 28 Reinforced Plastics in Brazil... 29 Reinforced Plastics in Canada... 29 Reinforced Plastics in Japan... 30 Reinforced Plastics in Mexico... 34 Reinforced Plastics in the Soviet Union... 34 Reinforced Plastics in Western Europe... 34 Austria... 38 Belgium... 38 England... 43 France... 44 Germmy (West)... 45 Italy... 46 Netherlands... 47 Portugal... 48 Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland)... 48 Spain... 48 Switzerland... 50 4 REINFORCED THERMOSETS... 51 Resins... 51 Low Shrink, Low-Profile Resins and Unsaturated Polyesters... 51 Epoxy Resins... 54 Vinyl Ester Resins... 59 Polyvinyl Chloride Thermosets... 59 High Temperature Resistant Polymers... 60 V
CONTENTS 4 Continued Properties... Fire Retardance... Mechanical Properties... Weatherability... Chemical Resistance... Processes... Matched Metal Die Molding... Cold Molding and Comoform@... Injection Molding,,,.,.,,,,.,,,,.,,.. Pultrusion... Filament Winding... Centrifugal and Rotational Casting... Lamination (of boards, panels, and sheets)... Lay-ups and Other Processes... 5 REINFORCED THERMIPLASTICS... Composition and Properties... Polyaoetals... Polyamides... Polycarbonates... Polyesters (Thermoplastics)... Polyethylene and Polypropylene... Polyphenylene Oxides... Styrene Polymers... Polyvinyl Chloride... Processes... Extrusion and Injection Molding... Cold Forming and Stamping... In-Situ Polymerization... Miscellaneous Processes... Glass Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic Concentrates..,. Compounding and Blending of Glass Fibers and Thermoplastics... 6 REINFORCEMENTS... Glass... Carbon and Graphite Fiber... Other Reinforcements... 61 61 63 65 65 66 66 67 68 71 71 78 78 81 91 91 94 97 98 99 102 106 107 107 111 112 119 121 122 131 132 135 135 143 146 vi
7 SHEET AND BULK MOLDING COMPOUNDS... 151 Introduction... 151 Compositions 151 Review of Proc&ei... 151 Process Description... 161 Process Discussion... 165 Cost Estimates... 167 8 REINFORCED PLASTIC FOAMS... 175 Introduction... 175 Reinforced Thermoplastic Foams... 175 Reinforced Polyurethane Foams... 176 Review of Processes... 176 Reinforced Thermoplastic Foams... 176 Reinforced Polyurethane Foams... 177 Process Description... 183 Process Discussion... 187 Cost Estimates... 189 APPENDIX DESIGN AND COST BASIS..........,..... 197 CITED REFERENCES...,.,... 203 PATENTREFERENCES BYCOME'ANY.................. 231 Vii
ILLUSTRATIONS 4.1 A Total System for Injection Molding of Glass- Reinforced Unsaturated Polyesters............. 70 7.1 Sheet Molding Compound Production............. 163 7.2 Sheet Molding Compound Production Effect of Operating Level and Number of Operators on Production Cost..................... 172 7.3 Sheet Molding Compound Production Effect of SMC Machine Belt Speed on Production Cost.... 173 7.4 Sheet Molding Compound Production Effect of Operating Level and Plant Capacity on Production....................... 174 8.1 Manufacture of Glass FibepReinforced Polyurethane Foams.. 185 8.2 Manufacture of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polyurethane Foams Effect of Labor Related Cost on Production Cost...... 194 a.3 Manufacture of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polyurethane Foams Effect of Operating Level and Plant Capacity on Production Cost..................... 195
TABLES 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 Consumption of Reinforced Plastics in the United States, Japan, and Western Europe......... 3 The Production of Sheet Molding Compounds and Fiber-Reinforced Polyurethane Foams Cost Estimates...................... 5 Consumption Pattern of Reinforced Plastics in the United States..................... 10 Consumption Pattern of Reinforced Thermosets in the United States..................... 10 Producers of Sheet and Bulk Molding Compounds in the United States..................... 12 Consumption Pattern of Gel Coats in the United States... 14 Consumption of Reinforced Thermoplastics in the United States....................... 17 Some Merchant Producers of Reinforced Thermoplastics in the United States................... 19 Reinforced Plastics Consumption in Transportation..... 21 Some Reinforced Plastics Applications in 1971 Automobiles..................... 23 Consumption of Reinforced Plastics in Japan........ 30 Consumption Patterns of Reinforced Plastics in Japan... 31 Some Reinforced Thermoplastics Producers in Japan..... 33 Some Reinforced Plastics Licensings in Japan....... 35 Consumption Pattern of Reinforced Plastics in Western Europe...................,.. 36 Consumption of Sheet Molding Compounds in Western Europe...................,.. 37 Some Merchant Producers of Reinforced Thermoplastics in Western Europe Including England............ 39 Production of Reinforced Plastics in Scandinavian Countries... 49 Xi
TABLES 4.1 Reinforced Unsaturated Polyesters Some Recent Patents.,.,.,......,..,.... 4.2 Reinforced Epoxy Resins Some Recent Patents,.....,.,........... 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 5.1 High Temperature Resistant Reinforced Plastics Some Recent Patents......,............. Pultrusion Process Some Recent Patents...,.........,...... Filament Wound Pipes and Tubes Some Recent Process Patents...,............ Reinforced Thermoset Panels, Sheets, and Boards Some Recent Process Patents,.........,..... Lay-ups, Vacuum Bag, and Other Processes Some Recent Patents...,............,... Miscellaneous Reinforced Thermoplastic Compositions Some Recent Patents..............,..... 5.2 Reinforced (Thermoplastic) Polyesters Some Recent Patents..,,..,.....,......, 5.3 Reinforced Polyolefins Some Recent Patents........,........... 103 5.4 Reinforced Styrene Polymers Some Recent Patents..,.....,,......,... 5.5 Reinforced Polyvinyl Chloride Some Recent Patents........,........... 5.6 Extrusion and Injection Molding of Reinforced Thermoplastics Some Recent Patents.......,......,..... 5.7 5.8 In-Situ Polymerization Processes for Reinforced Thermoplastic Preparation Some Recent Patents.........,.......... Miscellaneous Processes for Reinforced Thermoplastics Some Recent Patents.................... 55 57 62 72 74 79 82 95 100 108 109 113 123 125 Xii
TABLES 5.9 5.10 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Production of Cylindrically Shaped Reinforced Thermoplastics Some Recent Patents...,.,...,..,....... 127 Reinforced Thermoplastic Sheet Materials Some Recent Patents.....,.,.,........,. Applications of Some Silane Coupling Agents........ Coupling Agents and Other Treatments for Glass Fibers Used for Reinforced Thermoplastics Some Recent Patents.,...,......,....... Coupling Agents and Other Treatments for Glass Fibers Used for Reinforced Thermosets Some Recent Patents...,.....,....,..... 139 Some Patents on the Preparation of Carbon Fibrous Reinforcements.,.,...,.......... 145 Synthetic Fibers for Reinforced Plastics Some Recent Patents...,................ 149 Sheet and Bulk Molding Compounds Some Recent Composition Patents.,....,.,..... 153 Sheet Molding Compound Production Major Process Equipment and Utilities Summary....,. Sheet Molding Compound Production Total Capital Investment................. Sheet Molding Compound Production Total Operating Costs................... Reinforced Thermoplastic Foams Some Recent Process Patents..........,..... 179 Reinforced Polyurethane Foams Some Recent Process Patents.....,........,. 181 Manufacture of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polyurethane Foams Major Process Equipment and Utilities Summary....... Manufacture of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polyurethane Foams Total Capital Investment..........,...... 192 128 136 137 163 170 171 185 Xiii
TABLES 8.5 Manufacture of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polyurethane Foams Total Operating Costs,,.,,,.,,,,,.,...,. 193 8.6 Manufacture of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Foams Effect of Number of Production Shift and Plant Capacity or Production Cost,...,.,.,.... 196 xiv