COMPOSITE COMPONENT

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a composite component for use in motor vehicles, which covers and protects the bottom side of the vehicle body and/or engine compartment in whole or in part, and the method of production of the said composite component. The said composite component also improves the sub-vehicle aerodynamic structure and has a positive effect on the total aerodynamics of the vehicle.

In particular, the invention relates to a composite component for use in motor vehicles, which may comprise bicomponent polyester fibers, virgin polyester fibers, recycled polyester fibers, and polypropylene fibers, and a method of manufacturing the said composite components.

PRIOR ART

The heat generated by the operation of the engine in motor vehicles causes mechanical deformation of the vehicle equipment over time. Besides the mechanical deformation caused by the said heating issue, the materials such as stone, gravel which the vehicle bounces in motion, or external effects such as asphalt, water, snow, and ambient temperature can also damage the said equipment. For this reason, there is a need in the motor vehicles industry for materials that protect the bottom of the vehicle and around the engine against these effects. Today, materials such as plastic, metal, metal-fiber mixtures, carbon fiber are used to achieve this purpose. However, plastic materials cannot withstand the mechanical effects due to high-temperature difference and external environment, and after a while, they crack and break up. Metal components and metal- fiber mixtures put an extra strain on motor vehicle weight, resulting in an increase in fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. This results in negative economic and environmental consequences. Materials with characteristic features and high performance potential such as carbon fiber require a high-cost production process.

When the production methods of materials developed for the protection of vehicle equipment are examined, different approaches in the relevant technical field are observed. The said approaches consist mostly of multi-stage and complex production processes. Glass fiber materials are widely used in these production processes and as a result, multi-layered final products are obtained. While glass fiber material has serious risks for humans and environmental health, the multi-layered structure creates problems due to its high cost and increasing vehicle weight. Furthermore, the deterioration of the layered structure due to the drop of peel-strength over time is another problem that arises in the technical area. One of the methods commonly used in the technical field is the production of felt by adhesive-free methods such as needle-punching heat-bonding. In addition, in order to increase the strength of the final product, latex application on felt or film lamination methods are also used in the existing technique. However, these methods are unable to prevent environmental damage and remain unsatisfactory in terms of acoustic performance.

In the patent survey conducted in the prior art, the PCT application with publication number WO2017046164 A1 was encountered. The said document describes a material developed to armor the effects of the engine in motor vehicles. The said material consists mainly of multiple layers of non-woven fabric, supported by various filament structures. However, in the said technical field, it is known that non-woven fabric is not equivalent to polyester fibers, in the sense of providing strength. In this sense, the said patent application is only intended to armor and is insufficient to provide strength.

As a result, since many problems and drawbacks are experienced in the said technical area, as mentioned above, the existing systems are inadequate in solving these problems and drawbacks. This necessitates development and innovation in the technical field.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a composite component for use in motor vehicles that meets the above-mentioned requirements, eliminates all disadvantages and brings some additional advantages.

The main purpose of the invention is to obtain a composite component that provides the desired strength without containing glass fiber. Accordingly, a product with no harm to human health and environment is introduced, and area at the bottom of the vehicle and around the engine is protected against heat and external effects.

Another purpose of the invention is to produce a single-layer composite component that is fibrous, light and provides required strength instead of materials in the prior art that cause an increase in the weight of the vehicles due to its multi-layered structure. Another purpose of the invention is the production of a composite component, which is mounted on the vehicle, enabling the development of vehicle aerodynamics. Another purpose of the invention is to reveal a composite component that is firmly connected in itself as a result of the protection of a part of the fiber structure while some of the fibers in its structure melt.

In order to fulfill all the above-mentioned purposes, the invention is a composite component to be used in the vehicle industry to protect and/or cover the area at the bottom part of the said vehicle and/or around the engine, to produce the parcel shelf and/or other internal/external parts of the vehicle; comprising

• a bicomponent polyester fiber,

• recycled polyester fiber and/or virgin polyester fiber in the form of a single layer.

The structural and characteristic features of the invention and all advantages thereof will be more clearly understood by means of the following figures and detailed description. Therefore, the evaluation should be made considering these figures and detailed explanations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1 shows the side section view of the composite component of the invention before the forming process.

Figure 2 shows the side section view of the invention composite part after the forming process.

Figure 3 shows the general view of the needle where the needle-punching method is performed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In this detailed description, the preferred structures of the invention are explained only for a better understanding of the subject matter and without any restrictive effect.

The invention relates to a composite component for use in the motor vehicle industry, which covers and protects the bottom side of the vehicle body and/or engine compartment in whole or in part, and the method of production of the said composite component. The composition of the composite component subject to the invention consists of, basically, bicomponent polyester fiber, recycled polyester fiber and/or virgin polyester fiber. Depending on the desired composite component properties, it is possible to add polypropylene fiber.

One of the most important elements of the said composite component is bicomponent polyester fiber. The said bicomponent polyester fiber is a two-component material having fiber structure. The first of the components that make up bicomponent polyester fiber is the polyester fiber with resistance to temperatures up to 220 Ό - 290 TT The second component consists of a polymer that melts at a lower temperature compared to the said first component. Depending on the temperature, the bicomponent polyester fiber in the said two-component fiber structure ensures that the fiber mixture that forms the composite part of the invention is bonded with each other. Furthermore, said bicomponent polyester fiber contributes to the strength of the composite component of the invention due to its non-melting part. The structure of the composite component of the invention has bicomponent polyester fiber in the range of 5% -75% by weight and 1 - 10 denier.

The virgin polyester fiber is another important material in the contents of the composite component of the invention. The virgin polyester fiber, which has not undergone any recycling process, has high molecular weight and consequently, high strength, constitutes the basic strength element of the composite component. In the related technical field, the virgin polyester fibers are usually produced by the extrusion method from polyethylene terephthalate polymer. In the structure of the composite component of the invention, the virgin polyester fiber with the desired fineness is used to be at least 1 denier, and the mass ratio within the composite component can vary between 3% and 95%. Although the said fiber finenesses vary according to the structure of the composite parts, the invention is not limited to the said fiber finenesses.

Another important element in the structure of the said composite component is recycled polyester fiber. The recycled polyester fiber, which has similar strength to the virgin polyester fibers but provides cost advantage, consists of two different types of recycled polyester fibers, which have an average fineness of 1 to 8 deniers and 1 to 25 deniers. The said recycled polyester fiber is produced by recycling used polyester products, allowing a cheaper and more environmentally friendly production process than the virgin fibers. The determination of recycled polyester fiber as an average of 1 to 8 deniers and 1 to 25 deniers of fiber fineness directly affects the acoustic performance of the said composite component. In the structure of the said composite component of the invention, there are 1 to 8 denier recycled polyester fibers in the range of 20% -40% by weight and 1 to 25 denier recycled polyester fibers in the range of 1 - 95% by weight. Although the fiber finenesses vary according to the structure of the composite parts, the invention is not limited to the said fiber finenesses.

In addition to the fiber structures mentioned above, polypropylene fiber can also be involved in the structure of the composite component of the invention to take part in the consolidation of the said fiber structures. The said polypropylene fiber is produced from polypropylene polymer by extrusion and is a substance which is light and shows high resistance to chemicals. Due to its structure that melts easily with temperature, it acts as a binding agent between fibers in the invention. In this sense, polypropylene fiber can be optionally included in the structure of the said composite component, but there is no ratio restriction on the amount of use of polypropylene fiber. It is possible to add polypropylene fiber according to the amount required and/or features of the composite component.

The production method of the composite component of the invention is described in detail below along with its preferred applications. In the production process of the said composite component, the staple fibers coming to the blow room machines in bales are debonded and cleaned in the blow room machines. The fibers that are opened and cleaned with the generated airflow are transferred to the carding machine. With the carding process performed on the carding machine, fiber balls are extended as single fibers, foreign substances in the structure are removed, and web structures of specific weight and width are formed. The needling method is applied in the next process step. This method of needling (needle - punch) is used to connect the fibers that will form the fabric by bonding with each other. In the needling method, which is based on the insertion and punching of the needles, which have special notches on, vertically into the tissue, and in this way, the fibers are passed through each other by means of the protrusions of the needles and thus the web (non-woven fabric) is fixed. Figure 3 shows the general view of the needle where the needling method is performed. During each punching process, the needles capture a certain number of fibers and pull them through the tissue, thus bond the fibers by entangling with each other. The felt obtained by the needling method is subjected to finishing in the next processing step. In order to prevent the composite component from being affected by water and oil, water and oil repellent finishing agent is applied at least 0.05% by weight of the solid matter ratio on the felt obtained. In order to increase the fire resistance, the resulting felt is applied with a flame-retardant finish with a solids content of at least 0.05% by weight. After the finishing process, drying and fixing processes are performed. Then, the felt with finishing is transmitted to the oven and heated to temperatures of 90 Ό to 290 TT In the n ext process step, the heated felt with applied finishing is formed with the cold press. Figure 1 shows the side section view of the composite component of the invention before the forming process, and Figure 2 shows the side section view after forming. The final composite component is obtained by mounting the mounting holes and flanges of the formed structure. In the production process, the stenter machine temperature of 90 °C to 290 °C is of great importance for the single-layer composite part of the invention. Due to this temperature range, the recycled polyester fiber and the virgin polyester fiber are preserved in the form of fibers in the structure of the final product (composite component). At the same time, when the said temperature range is reached, polypropylene fiber melts completely, while only one component of bicomponent polyester fiber melts. This ensures that the fibrous structure of the composite component of the invention is protected, while, a high-strength structure (composite component) is achieved due to the fibers that are connected to each other without using any adhesive powder/resin/latex.

While the weight of the composite component of the invention in the carding machine is 700 g/m ² to 1300 g/m ² , it is increased by 75 g/m ² to 200 g/m ² after the finishing process and the weight of the final product (composite component) is increased to 775 g/m ² to 1500 g/m ² . The Flexural Modulus Test according to ISO 178 Method A is applied to the final product in order to determine its mounting strength