Thermoplastic composite and method and apparatus of making the same

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention achieves the above objects by providing an ambient temperature, dry blend for forming a thermoplastic composite that includes a quantity of expanded thermoplastic pieces and a quantity of filler particles suspended by the pieces.
The filler particles form up to 60% by weight of the blend.
The invention also embodies a method of making a thermoplastic composite that includes dry mixing at ambient temperature a quantity of first filler particles with a quantity of expanded thermoplastic pieces to form a blend.
The method also includes the step of forming the blend into a thermoplastic composite.
The present invention also embodies a thermoplastic composite formed by compressing, heating and dispensing an ambient temperature blend of expanded thermoplastic pieces and filler particles.
The present invention also embodies apparatus for making a reinforced thermoplastic composite from the above-identified dry blend.
The apparatus includes a first elongate compartment defining a low-pressure compression chamber, and a feeder for sequentially transferring the blend to the first compartment in preselected amounts.
Also included is a second elongate compartment defining a high-pressure compression chamber with open ends and an entry section structured with a port.
The second compartment is positioned adjacent the first compartment so that the chambers are in communication with each other via the port.
The apparatus includes a plurality of reinforcing strands to be fed through the high-pressure chamber, with each such strand having a front section which is positioned in the entry section.
The apparatus of the invention also includes means for heating the high-pressure chamber, and a low-pressure compressor to compress the blend in the low-pressure chamber and transfer it to the entry section around the front sections of the strands.
A high-pressure compressor is included to compress the blend around the strands in the heated high-pressure chamber to form a molten reinforced thermoplastic composite, and for transferring the molten composite out of the chamber where it can cool, thus to form a reinforced thermoplastic composite