Continuous Fiber Molded Part

Abstract

Continuous fiber molded part for silencers or mufflers comprising a continuous fiber and a coat of inorganic binder, wherein the coat encloses the continuous fiber.

Claims

1. A continuous fiber molded part for silencers comprising: a continuous fiber; a coat of inorganic binder enclosing said continuous fiber.

2. The continuous fiber molded part according to claim 1, wherein: said continuous fiber is an open or an effect-textured glass fiber; wherein said glass fiber is an E or ECR glass fiber; wherein said continuous fiber is given as a mat or scrim.

3. The continuous fiber molded part according to claim 1, wherein: said inorganic binder comprises a colloidal mineral, in particular a sol-gel based on water glass and silica sol.

4. The continuous fiber molded part according to claim 3, wherein: said water glass is a sodium and/or potassium and/or lithium water glass and wherein the silica sol particle size is between 7 and 40 nm.

5. The continuous fiber molded part according to claim 3, wherein: a water glass content of said sol-gel amounts to 25-75%, typically to 35-65%, and in particular to 45-55%, and a silica sol content of said sol-gel amounts to 25-75%, typically to 35-65%, and in particular to 45-55%; wherein said sol-gel is mixed with a portion of water which comprises plain water and/or distilled water or a mixture of both, wherein a mixture of the water portion with said sol-gel is given at a mixing ratio of 0-1:6, typically of 1:2 and in particular of 1:1.

6. The continuous fiber molded part according to claim 3, wherein: said sol-gel has a pH value of 8pH9.

7. A Method for producing a continuous fiber molded part comprising: providing a continuous fiber which has a predefined density in a supply volume; providing an inorganic binder; applying said inorganic binder onto said continuous fiber so that said continuous fiber is enclosed in a coat-like manner; curing said inorganic binder by applying heat.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: forming said continuous fiber molded part according to a predefined shape by way of cutting with a tool having severing edges, wherein said tool is typically heated by supplying heat.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein: curing is done by supplying heat at a temperature of at least 100 C., preferably between 250 C. and 400 C.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein: said inorganic binder is a colloidal mineral, in particular a sol-gel based on water glass and silica sol.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: a water glass content of said sol-gel amounts to 25-75%, to typically 35-65%, and in to particular 45-55%, and a silica sol content of said sol-gel amounts to 25-75%, typically to 35-65%, and in particular to 45-55%; wherein said sol-gel is mixed with a portion of water which comprises plain water and/or distilled water or a mixture of both, wherein a mixture of said water portion with said sol-gel is given at a mixing ratio of 0-1:6, typically of 1:2 and in particular of 1:1.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein: said sol-gel has a pH value of 8pH9.

13. A method for the fabrication of silencers comprising: providing a first coat shell; providing a second coat shell or a component directly conducting hot gas; providing a continuous fiber molded part according to claim 7; introducing the continuous fiber molded part between the first and the second coat shell or between the first coat shell and the component directly conducting hot gas.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: the step of introducing said continuous fiber molded part comprises inserting and/or casting and/or blowing and/or pushing the continuous fiber molded part in between the first and the second coat shell or between the first coat shell and the component directly conducting hot gas.

15. A silencer fabricated following the method according to claim 13.

16. A method of making a silencer comprising the steps of: coating a continuous fiber with a colloidal mineral formed by a sol-gel process having a pH ranging from 8 to 9; forming a molded part with the continuous fiber; and placing the molded part around a part to be silenced, whereby the continuous fiber is not chemically attacked by the sol-gel process.

17. A method of making a silencer as in claim 16 wherein: the sol-gel process is based on water glass and silica sol.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0076] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates various types of fiber strands.

[0077] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a partial view of a molded part in the silencer.

[0078] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a partial view of a molded part in the silencer.

[0079] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a view of a three-dimensionally shaped molded part.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0080] FIG. 1 shows various types of fiber strands. The differentiation from top to bottom is as follows:

[0081] Normal fiber strand 1, also referred to as roving, after production from the glass melting tank.

[0082] Open fiber strand 2, fiber strand 1 can by way of a suitable method be opened such that individual glass filaments become visible. The volume of the strand is increased so that fiber strand 2 is obtained.

[0083] Textured glass strand 3: This type of glass strand has no uniformity like in the normal unopened fiber strand, but instead a slight twist.

[0084] Effect-textured glass fiber strand 4: This type of glass strand has an extreme swirl in the glass filaments, while the strand interconnection is still maintained. This therefore has the effect that already a slight connection is created by the swirled filaments when such a strand is tangled.

[0085] FIG. 2 shows a schematic partial view of a molded part 10 on a part 12 of a system to be insulated, such as a silencer or muffler. Continuous molded part 10 is there formed according to the shape of the system to be insulated, where this view shows only a portion of molded part 10.

[0086] FIG. 3 shows a further partial schematic view in which continuous molded part 10 partially fills a cavity 14 of a silencer system. Cavity 14 is in this example shown between system or part 12 to be insulated and an outer wall 16. In the present view, the cavity is not entirely filled by continuous molded part 10. It is understood that also a different filling of cavity 14 can for reasons of application be given. Reference numeral 18 denotes inlet and outlet tubes for exhaust gas.

[0087] Continuous molded part 10 is a continuous molded part according to the present invention. A continuous fiber, for example, an effect-textured filament as outlined in FIG. 1, is there provided with an inorganic binder as a protective coat which encloses the fiber and in the cured state is shaping and protective. The coat can comprise a colloidal mineral, in particular a sol-gel based on water glass and silica sol. The sol-gel chemistry used can be based on an interplay of different types of water glass and different types of silica sol. Soluble precursors, i.e. starting materials, for sol-gel processes are, for example, sodium silicates (water glass), soluble oxides or alkoxides, i.e. alcoholates, of glass-forming compounds such as SiO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2, and hydroxides such as boric acid, H.sub.3BO.sub.3, or sodium hydroxide, NaOH. However, for pure SiO2, for example, silicic acid esters are used. Further products that can be produced from sol-gel chemistry include aerogels, xerogels, powder, fiber and many more. The term sol-gel process is to be understood as a general term for methods of producing non-metallic inorganic or hybrid polymeric materials from colloidal dispersions. The water glass given in this example can be sodium and/or potassium and/or lithium water glass, where the silica sol particle size can be between 7 and 40 nm. The particle size of the silica sol particles, i.e. essentially the diameter of these particles, can in particular be divided into two ranges, namely firstly, particles having a size of about 7-20 nm in diameter or particles having a size of about 30-40 nm in diameter. A mixture of particles having diameters from the first range and of particles having diameters from the second range is possible. The water glass content of the sol-gel can amount to 25-75%, typically 35-65%, and in particular 45-55%, and the silica sol content of the sol-gel can amount to 25-75%, typically to 35-65%, and in particular to 35-55%. The sol-gel can be mixed with water, a portion of water can therefore be added. The water can be plain water and/or distilled water or it can be a mixture of both. The mixture of the water portion with the sol-gel can be given at a mixing ratio of 0-1:6, typically of 1:2 and in particular of 1:1. Here, these specifications for the water glass and the silica sol are to be understood as mass percentages of the respective raw material.

[0088] One problem with conventional inorganic binders has previously been that they could either not be used for the case of application for the reason that the binding forces on continuous fibers are not sufficient, orwhich is problematic with a sol-gel systemthe high basicity of the system bears the risk that the fibers are chemically attacked or even destroyed. It has frequently been attempted to use sol-gel systems based on water glass and silica sol, but this was always associated with the fiber being damaged. The inventors have established a sol-gel binder system which does not cause this effect due to its lower basicity. A composition of the binder has been found which has a lower pH-value than conventional sol-gel systems based on silica sol and water glass, and thereby also a lower chemical basicity. For the pH-value of the sol-gel, in particular 8pH9 may apply. With this pH-value a sufficiently low basicity, also known as alkalinity, can be obtained, whereby the fiber can be particularly well protected.

[0089] FIGS. 1-3 purely for reasons owed to drawing show the material of the continuous fiber molded parts in black, although this is typically a bright whitish material. Subsequent FIG. 4 appears only toward the shape obtained without drawing the material in black.

[0090] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a three-dimensionally shaped continuous molded part 30. This example shows a more complex shape of a continuous fiber molded part, where the continuous fiber molded part comprises both an edge 34 and an opening 32. The shape of continuous fiber molded part 30 is implemented according to the application. The mold shown is inherently stable and can be inserted as one piece into a system to be insulated. Continuous fiber molded part 30 is thereby insertable in a simple manner and also possibly exchangeable in a system to be insulated.