Thermoplastic Pultrusion Process using Commingled Glass/Poly

This paper discusses the development of a novel thermoplastic pultrusion process utilizing commingled glass/polypropylene fiber roving. The development of a commercially viable thermoplastic pultrusion process resulted in combining technologies, tooling and processing techniques from both pultrusion and extrusion manufacturing processes.

The process was capable of producing unidirectional and transverse reinforced profiles ranging from small diameter rods up profiles.Capstock extrusion capability was also added to allow great flexibility in easily adding beneficial attributes to the underlying composite profile.

First commercial applications included the development of unidirectional pultrusions for the fence and tool handle market. Additional development also produced transverse reinforced profiles, twisted profiles as well as unique capstock extrusion effects.

The result is a thermoplastic pultrusion process which opens the door to future advances utilizing other thermoplastic resins, reinforcement fibers and direct thermoplastic resin injection. Thermoplastic pultrusion also offers the possibility for pultrusion and extrusion manufacturers to expand into new product and market segments not otherwise open and available to them currently.