According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg includes a mechanism for moving a fabric or mat and a drying mechanism that removes residual moisture from at least one surface of the fabric or mat. The system also includes a resin application mechanism that applies a reactive resin to the fabric or mat and a press mechanism that presses the coated fabric or mat to ensure that the resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the coated fabric or mat is moved to polymerize the resin and thereby form a thermoplastic polymer so that upon exiting the oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer. During at least a portion of the process, humidity in the vicinity of the coated fabric or mat is maintained at substantially zero.

Apparatus and method are described and useful for, among other things, providing a layer by layer coating of materials on a belt. A directional gas curtain producing element is used to provide a gas curtain blowing on the belt in an upstream direction that simultaneously meters liquid from the belt and dries the belt.

Apparatus and method are described and useful for, among other things, providing a layer by layer coating of materials on a belt. A directional gas curtain producing element is used to provide a gas curtain blowing on the belt in an upstream direction that simultaneously meters liquid from the belt and dries the belt.

A substrate for use in an aqueous slurry has a polymeric coating to provide a compliant and sticky surface. The polymer coating has a chemical to render the surface hydrophobic so as to attract hydrophobic or hydrophobized mineral particles in the slurry. The substrate can take the form of a conveyor belt, a bead, a mesh, an impeller, a filter or a flat surface. The substrate can also be an open-cell foam. The polymeric coating can be modified with tackifiers; plasticizers; crosslinking agents; chain transfer agents; chain extenders; adhesion promoters; aryl or alky copolymers; fluorinated copolymers and/or additives; hydrophobizing agents such as hexamethyldisilazane; inorganic particles such as silica, hydrophobic silica, and/or fumed hydrophobic silica; MQ resin; and/or other additives to control and modify the properties of the polymer.

A thermoplastic prepreg includes a web or mesh of fibers in which the web or mesh of fibers includes chopped fibers. The thermoplastic prepreg also includes a thermoplastic material that fully impregnates the web or mesh of fibers so that the thermoplastic prepreg has a void content of less than 5%. The thermoplastic material is polymers that are formed by in-situ polymerization of monomers or oligomers in which greater than 90% of the monomers or oligomers react to form the thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic prepreg includes between 5 and 95 weight percent of the thermoplastic material and the chopped fibers that form the web or mesh of fibers are un-bonded.

A thermoplastic prepreg includes a web or mesh of fibers in which the web or mesh of fibers includes chopped fibers. The thermoplastic prepreg also includes a thermoplastic material that fully impregnates the web or mesh of fibers so that the thermoplastic prepreg has a void content of less than 5%. The thermoplastic material is polymers that are formed by in-situ polymerization of monomers or oligomers in which greater than 90% of the monomers or oligomers react to form the thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic prepreg includes between 5 and 95 weight percent of the thermoplastic material and the chopped fibers that form the web or mesh of fibers are un-bonded.

According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) prepreg includes a mechanism for continuously moving a fabric or mat and a resin application component that applies a methyl methacrylate (MMA) resin to the fabric or mat. The system also includes a press mechanism that presses the fabric or mat during the continuous movement subsequent to the application of the MMA resin to ensure that the MMA resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the fabric or mat is continuously moved. The curing oven is maintained at a temperature of between 40 C. and 100 C. to polymerize the MMA resin and thereby form PMMA so that upon exiting the curing oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with PMMA.

According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) prepreg includes a mechanism for continuously moving a fabric or mat and a resin application component that applies a methyl methacrylate (MMA) resin to the fabric or mat. The system also includes a press mechanism that presses the fabric or mat during the continuous movement subsequent to the application of the MMA resin to ensure that the MMA resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the fabric or mat is continuously moved. The curing oven is maintained at a temperature of between 40 C. and 100 C. to polymerize the MMA resin and thereby form PMMA so that upon exiting the curing oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with PMMA.

A device for lacquer transfer includes a frame, transfer roller with circumferential lateral wall, nozzle for dispensing lacquer, and hardening unit, the hardening unit formed as a UV-light unit for hardening the lacquer in a contactless way by emitting UV-light, and is within an interior space defined by the transfer roller. The lateral wall of the transfer roller is transparent for UV-light, and the hardening unit is arranged such that UV-light is emitted towards the work surface upon which the lateral wall of the transfer roller rolls, to harden the lacquer after it being transferred to the work surface. Using the device, lacquer transfer can occur from the transfer roller to the work surface more reliably. The device includes a light shield between the hardening unit and outside contact surface with at least a portion of the outside contact surface provided with lacquer is shielded from UV-light emitted from the hardening unit.

A device and a system for a lacquer transfer with a frame, transfer roller with a circumferential lateral wall, a drive unit, a slit nozzle, the slit nozzle at least indirectly connected to the frame, an outside contact surface of the lateral wall including depressions, the transfer roller mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation at the frame, the drive unit configured to drive the transfer roller for the transfer roller to rotate about the axis of rotation. The slit nozzle includes a supply connection, nozzle-cavity, slit-shaped nozzle-channel and at least one limiter, the supply connection coupled to the nozzle-cavity for supplying lacquer to the nozzle-cavity, the nozzle-channel extending from the nozzle-cavity to a muzzle end formed by the slit nozzle at the end of the nozzle-channel for dispensing lacquer, the slit nozzle configured by the limiter to adjust a cross-section in a restriction area of the nozzle-channel.