Method for producing glass cloth

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a glass cloth which is suitable as reinforcing material for making resin laminates and which comprises subjecting filaments of glass fibers to sizing treatment with a sizing agent containing at least one water-soluble film forming agent selected from the group consisting of an amine-modified epoxy resin, an ethylene oxide-­ added epoxy resin and ethylene oxide-added bisphenol A as film forming component, forming glass yarns from the thus treated filaments, weaving the glass yarns to make a glass cloth, washing the glass cloth with water until LOI of the sizing agent to the glass cloth reaches 0.25% by weight or less, and then treating this glass cloth with a solution of a surface treating agent.

Description: The present invention relates to a method for producing a glass cloth suitable to be used as reinforcing materials for making a resin laminate reinforced with glass cloth. A glass cloth is made by weaving glass yarns treated with a sizing agent comprising starch as main component of film forming agent for satisfying processability in respective steps of spinning, twisting, warping, and weaving. When glass cloth treated with such sizing agent mainly composed of starch is used as a reinforcing material for making resin laminates, the starch is usually removed from glass cloth after weaving because starch gives adverse effect on adhesion between matrix resins such as polyester resin and epoxy resin and glass fibers constituting the glass cloth. As method for removing starch type sizing agent, namely, desizing or cleaning, there are a water washing method using surface active agent, enzyme and the like (Japanese Patent Kokai Nos. 63-107847 and 63-108035) and a heating method. However, it is difficult to completely remove starch type sizing agent by desizing by water washing and at present, desising is mostly carried out by heating. The method of desising by heating is a batch type method which comprises heating a rolled glass cloth (roll) at 400-500°C for about 30-50 hours in a heating furnace to burn off the starch type sizing agent. The desizing by heating which is generally carried out is of batch type and hence cannot be continuously conducted and besides, since time of one cycle is long, the number of rolls used in one cycle must be increased. Thus, a large heating furnace is required and a space for preparation of rolls used for the next cycle is necessary. Furthermore, since heating at high temperature is carried out for a long time, strength of glass cloth is deteriorated and cost for energy increases. On the other hand, in an attempt to omit the desizing step, such a sizing treatment has been proposed so that the glass cloth after woven can be used as it is for molding. That is, this is based on the idea that when a sizing agent comprising urethane emulsion or epoxy emulsion as main component of film forming agent is used and the resulting glass cloth is molded as it is together with matrix resin, the molding can be satisfactorily performed because the emulsion is not so poor in compatibility with resin as the starch is. However, this method also has problems in that processability in respective steps of from spinning to weaving is not satisfactory and that impregnation of resin is insufficient. That is, viscousness of film forming agent cannot be inhibited and film forming agent adheres to traveller and reed in twisting and weaving steps to cause fluffing or breaking of yarns. Moreover, if impregnation is not sufficient, reinforcing effect is not exhibited and properties of laminate after molded are inferior. The above method of desizing by heating is especially not suitable for glass cloth made by weaving high-silica glass yarns containing more than 60% by weight of silica (SiO₂) Glass fibers practically used at present for making glass yarns of more than 60% by weight in silica content include the three kinds of glass fibers (D-glass, S-glass and Q-glass) as shown in the following Table 1. E-glass fiber is a non-alkali glass fiber and is used for electrical insulation. D-glass fiber is a low-dielectric glass fiber and is used as substrate for printed circuit board which requires low dielectric. S-glass fiber is a high-modulus and high-strength glass fiber and is used as reinforcing materials for construction. Q-glass fiber (quartz glass fiber) is at least 99% by weight in silica content, excellent in heat resistance, and is low in thermal expansion coefficient and so is increasingly utilized as substrate for printed circuit board for special use. When glass cloth made from yarns of the three kinds of glass fibers of at least 60% in silica content is desized by heating, the following problems have further occurred. That is, D-glass cloth cannot be completely desized by heating. Besides, laminated sheet made using the thus desized D-glass cloth becomes yellowish. Moreover, as can be seen from Table 1, D-glass has relatively much B₂O₃ component and so there is the problem that when it is heated for a long time of 30-50 hours at 400-500°C which are conditions for desizing by heating, a considerable amount of B₂O₃ component is evaporated. Therefore, glass composition after desized by heating differs from that before subjected to desizing. In the case of S-glass cloth, strength of glass cloth decreases owing to the heating for desizing as shown in Table 2. Table 2 shows change of tensile strength of glass cloth. Tensile strength of original cloth as woven reduces to about 30% by subjecting it to desizing by heating. The reduced tensile strength of this original cloth returns to 40-60% of that of the original cloth as woven, by subjecting it surface treatment. However, effect of desizing by heating on tensile strength of glass cloth is high. Especially, although deterioration of S-glass cloth by heating is smaller than deterioration of E-glass cloth by heating, since S-glass cloth is used because of its high strength, deterioration of this strength makes it meaningless to use S-glass cloth. In the case of Q-glass cloth, this is wound around an iron core for desizing by heating and put in a furnace for desizing. Thermal expansion coefficient of the Q-glass cloth wound around the iron core is smaller than that of the iron core and hence tearings are generated in the cloth. Therefore, employment of desizing by heating is especially difficult for desizing of high-silica glass cloth of 60% or more in silica content. The object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a glass cloth which is good in processability in respective steps and is good in impregnation with resin without desizing and at low cost. The method is free from the above mentioned defects. In the present invention, glass filaments which constitute glass yarns which are woven to make a glass cloth are subjected to sizing treatment (primary sizing treatment) with a sizing agent containing the following film forming agent component, coupling agent component and lubricant component. An epoxy resin which is water-solubilized by modification with amine or addition of ethylene oxide, bisphenol A which is water-solubilized by addition of ethylene oxide or a mixture thereof is used as the main component of film forming agent in sizing agent. Amount of the film forming agent component contained in sizing agent is 1.0-5.0% by weight, preferably 2.0-4.0% by weight as effective component. As the coupling agent component in the sizing agent of the present invention, silane coupling agent is used. The silane coupling agent includes, for example, γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, N-β-(aminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, N-β-(N-vinylbenzylaminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane hydrochloride, γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, vinyl-tri(β-methoxyethoxy)silane, γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, and mixtures thereof. Amount of the coupling agent component in sizing agent is 0.05-2.0% by weight, preferably 0.2-0.6% by weight as effective ingredient. As the lubricant component in the sizing agent of the present invention, there may be used tetraethylenepentamine distearate and butyl stearate in an amount of 0.03-0.15% by weight and 0.2-1.0% by weight as effective ingredients, respectively. In the present invention, the amount of the sizing agent present on the treated glass yarns is preferably 0.3-1.0% by weight on a loss on ignition (hereinafter, referred to as "LOI") basis. In weaving it is desired to subject the warp to secondary sizing treatment. As treating agent for this secondary sizing treatment, the film forming agent component of sizing agent which is used for the primary sizing treatment may be used alone or in admixture with some lubricant component. Concentration of the treating agent for secondary sizing treatment is 0.5-3.0% by weight as an effective component. LOI of treating agent in secondary sizing treatment to glass yarns is desirably 0.2-1.0% by weight. Glass cloth made by weaving glass yarns subjected to the primary and secondary sizing treatments in this way is transferred to water washing step. Water may be used as it is for washing, but preferably is adjusted to pH of acidic side with acetic acid, formic acid or the like and furthermore preferably contains a small amount of nonionic or cationic surface active agent. Moreover, water may contain several percent of solvent which is effective for washing off the sizing agent used for the primary sizing treatment and is miscible with water. Apparatuses such as mangle, vibrowasher, ultrasonic washer, high-pressure water jetting machine can be used for water washing. Then, the glass cloth is preferably sufficiently squeezed by mangle to remove water entrained by the cloth or dried before it is delivered to the step of surface treatment. At this stage, amount of the sizing agent used for the primary sizing treatment which remains on the glass cloth without having been removed by washing with water (total amount of sizing agent for primary sizing treatment and sizing agent for secondary sizing treatment when secondary sizing treatment is carried out) should be 0.25% by weight or less. Surface treatment is carried out by usual method. That is, suitable surface treating agent is selected depending on use of the glass cloth. Examples of the surface treating agent are γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, N-β-(aminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, N-β-(N-vinylbenzylaminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane hydrochloride, γ-methaacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, vinyl-tri(β-methoxyethoxy)silane, γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, and mixtures thereof. As glass fibers used for making glass cloth according to the present invention, there may be used all of fibers of E-glass (non-alkali glass, for electric insulation), D-glass (low dielectric glass), S-glass (glass of high modulus and high strength), and Q-glass (glass excellent in heat resistance and small in thermal expansion coefficient). Furthermore, the following advantages are provided by utilizing the method for producing glass cloth of the present invention. That is, as mentioned above, there have been the problems that when D-glass fiber is used, desizing with heat is difficult as compared with when E-glass fiber is used and that when S-glass fiber is used, the glass obtained by desizing with heat exhibits effect of surface treatment with difficulty and besides, characteristics of high modulus and high strength of S-glass decrease owing to heating at high temperature for a long time. All of these problems can be solved by the method of the present invention. According to the present invention, superior glass cloth can be produced by subjecting filaments of glass fiber to sizing treatment with a sizing agent containing at least one water-soluble film forming agent selected from the group consisting of amine-modified epoxy resin, epoxy resin to which ethylene oxide is added and bisphenol A to which ethylene oxide is added, forming glass yarns from the thus treated filaments, weaving the glass yarns, washing the obtained glass cloth with water, and then treating the glass cloth with a surface treating agent. By this method of the present invention, the step of desizing with heating is unnecessary which is carried out in the case of glass cloth made by weaving glass yarns obtained by sizing treatment with normal starch type sizing agent. That is, a glass cloth having characteristics equal or superior to those of glass cloth obtained by treating with normal starch sizing agent and desizing with heating can be obtained by decreasing LOI of sizing agent to glass cloth after water washing to 0.25% or less. This is because the sizing agent used in the present invention contains synthetic resin type film forming agent and hence can exhibit sizing effect with use of small amount of the sizing agent being different from starch type sizing agent. Therefore, amount of sizing agent adhering to glass yarns can be reduced to 0.3-1.0% by weight and furthermore, since the film forming component which is a main component of sizing agent is water-soluble, LOI of the sizing agent can be made at most 0.25% by weight only by water washing. When starch type sizing agent is used, LOI thereof to glass cloth is 1.0-3.0% by weight for primary sizing treatment and 0.5-2.0% by weight for secondary sizing treatment. When starch type sizing agent is used, starch damages affinity and adhesion between glass fiber and matrix resin and so amount of remaining sizing agent must be 0.1% by weight or less. It is difficult to decrease industrially the amount of the remaining sizing agent to less than 0.1% by weight desizing method using water washing and at present, there are no other effective means than desizing by heating. The film forming agents in the sizing agent used in the present invention are epoxy resin and bisphenol A which is raw material for epoxy resin which have been modified and water-solubilized. Therefore, these modified resins have compatibility with epoxy resins and polyester resins used as matrix resin for laminate. Accordingly, there is no need to remove sizing agent until LOI of the sizing agent decreases to 0.1% by weight or less as in the case of starch type sizing agent and if the sizing agent can be removed by washing with water until LOI decreases to 0.25% by weight or less, a glass cloth, which has characteristics equal or superior to those of a glass cloth obtained by using starch type sizing agent, carrying out desizing by heating, and then surface treating, can be obtained by carrying out usual surface treatment after washing with water. If LOI is more than 0.25% by weight, amount of film forming agent which adheres to glass cloth is large and so impregnation of glass fiber yarns with matrix resin cannot be sufficiently performed in making of laminate and thus desired effect cannot be obtained. The sizing agent used in the present invention contains at least one film forming agent selected from the group consisting of amine-modified epoxy resin, epoxy resin to which ethylene oxide is added and bisphenol A to which ethylene oxide is added and besides, contains above-mentioned silane coupling agent component and lubricant component and satisfies processability at a series of steps of spinning, twisting, warping and weaving. Furthermore, when the sizing agent of the present invention contains the silane coupling agent, the silane coupling agent is readily adsorbed to the surface of glass fibers just after spun which is in active state and siloxane bond (Si-O-Si) is easily produced and thus surface treating agent firmly bonds to the glass fibers. This is one factor for the improvement in the properties of glass cloth made by the method of the present invention. As the lubricant components to be added to the sizing agent of the present invention, there are selected those which give adverse effect as little as possible on interface between glass fiber and matrix resin when they remain on the surface of glass cloth after water washing step. For the amine-modified epoxy resin used in the sizing agent of the present invention, suitable is bisphenol type epoxy resin having 1-3 bisphenol nuclei in molecule and the amine-modified epoxy resin is desirably one obtained by reacting this epoxy resin with diethanolamine. Reaction rate of epoxy resin with diethanol amine is preferably such that at least 50% of epoxy groups contained in one molecule of the epoxy resin react with diethanolamine. If the reaction rate is less than 50%, the epoxy resin cannot have sufficient water-solubility. For the epoxy resin and bisphenol A to which ethylene oxide is added, as in the case of the amine-modified epoxy resin, suitable are bisphenol type epoxy resins having 1-3 bisphenol nuclei and amount of ethylene oxide to be added is at least 8 mols, preferably 8-13 mols. If the amount of ethylene oxide is less than 8 mols, sufficient water-solubility cannot be imparted to epoxy resin. If it is more than 13 mols, water-solubility is too high, resulting in adverse effect on properties of laminate. Washing with water in the water washing step in the method of the present invention can be carried out by various methods. Simplest methods include a method of washing a glass cloth with water by moving it up and down between rollers in water tank, a method of utilizing ultrasonic energy by providing an ultrasonic wave generator in water tank, a method of washing out the sizing agent by jet energy of high-pressure fluid by jetting a high-pressure water jet fluid onto glass cloth, land a vibro-washer method which comprises washing out sizing agent by moving glass cloth along a rotating cylinder having many holes from which high-pressure water is jetted. In the water washing step employed in the present invention, LOI of sizing agent decreases by washing with water and simultaneously LOI of the water-soluble film forming agent contained in the sizing agent decreases, whereby gathering property of filaments constituting the yarns also decreases. This provides the effect to improve impregnation of matrix resin into inner part of glass yarns in making a laminate. LOI of sizing agent to glass cloth subjected to desizing by heating can also be less than 0.1%, but since the glass cloth is heated at high temperature, glass yarns are heat set and filaments constituting the glass yarns are in the state of being gathered by heat setting thereof although substantially no sizing agent adheres thereto, thereby to result in insufficient impregnation of matrix resin into inner part of glass yarns in molding of a laminate. The state of gathering of glass yarns due to heat setting can be relaxed to some extent by passing the glass cloth through surface treating step after heat desizing step, but the state cannot be completely solved. When a glass cloth obtained by heat desizing and a glass cloth obtained by the method of the present invention are compared on impregnation of matrix resin into inner part of glass yarns, impregnation in the glass cloth obtained by the method of the present invention is far superior. Example 1 [I] Glass yarn: (1) E-glass fiber: ECE 2251/0 IZ (manufactured by Nitto Boseki Co., Ltd.; monofilament diameter: 7µ) (2) Components of sizing agent: (a) Film forming component ---- Addition product (3% as effective ingredient) prepared by adding 1 mol of diethanolamine to EPIKOTE 828 (trademark for epoxy resin manufactured by Shell International Chemicals Corp.) (b) Coupling agent ---- γ-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (0.5%) (c) Lubricant ---- Butyl stearate (0.5% as effective ingredient) and tetraethylenepentamine stearate (0.05% as effective ingredient) (d) Water ---- the remainder (3) pH of sizing agent: adjusted to about 5 with acetic acid. (4) Method of sizing treatment with sizing agent: The sizing agent was applied to a group of glass fibers spun from bushing by an apron type sizing agent coating apparatus and the thus treated fibers were gathered by gathering roller to make strands. The strands were wound up by wind-up machine and twisted by a twister to make yarns. (5) LOI of sizing agent: 0.35% by weight [II] Weaving for making glass cloth: The glass yarns obtained in the above [I]were subjected to secondary sizing treatment (only warp) and then woven in the following manner to make a glass cloth. (1) Secondary sizing treatment: Warps were subjected to sizing treatment with an addition product (1.5% by weight as effective ingredient) obtained by adding 1 mol of diethanolamine to EPIKOTE 828. (2) LOI of the addition product applied by the secondary sizing treatment: 0.3% by weight for warp (about 0.15% by weight for the whole glass cloth). Total LOI according to the primary and secondary sizing treatments was 0.5% by weight. (3) Weave: (4) Weaving method: Weaving was carried out by air jet loom. [III] Washing with water: Sizing agents adhering to the cloth of [II] which were applied by the primary and the secondary sizing treatments were washed out by a high-pressure water jetting apparatus. The high-pressure water was uniformly jetted to the whole surface of the cloth by rotating nozzle and jetting pressure was 50 kg/cm². After washed with water, the cloth was dried prior to entering into the next surface treating step. LOI of remaining sizing agents and so on was 0.15%. [IV] Surface treatment: (1) Surface treating agent: N-β-(N-vinylbenzylaminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane hydrochloride [Trade mark: SZ6032 (manufactured by Toray silicone Co.), (0.3% by weight as effective ingredient)]. (2) Preparation of aqueous solution of the surface treating agent: The surface treating agent was dissolved in water having a pH adjusted with acetic acid by adding thereto with stirring. (3) Treating method: Glass cloth was dipped in the aqueous solution of surface treating agent, squeezed by a mangle to remove liquid and dried. (4) LOI of treating agent after surface treatment: 0.26% by weight (LOI amount of remaining sizing agent + LOI amount of surface treating agent) Example 2 [I] Glass yarns: (1) E-glass fiber: Sizing treatment was conducted in the same manner as in Example 1 except using ECG 75 1/0 1Z (manufactured by Nitto Boseki Co., Ltd.; monofilament diameter : 9µ). (2) LOI of sizing agent: 0.40% by weight [II] Weaving for making glass cloth: (1) Secondary sizing treatment: Secondary sizing treatment was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. (2) Weave: (3) Method of weaving: Weaving was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. [III] Washing with water: (1) Washing was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. (2) LOI after washing with water: 0.08% by weight [IV] Surface treatment: (1) Treatment was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. (2) LOI after surface treatment: 0.15% by weight Comparative Example 1 Glass cloth obtained according to [I] and [II] of Example 1 was used. Comparative Example 2 Glass cloth obtained according to [I] and [II] of Example 2 was used. Comparative Example 3 (1) Starch type sizing agent having the following composition was applied to the same glass fibers as in Example 1 by the same sizing method as in Example 1. LOI of the sizing agent was 1.6%. Composition of the starch type sizing agent: Dextrin starch 6.0% by weight Hydrogenated vegetable oil 2.0% by weight Cationic softener 0.12% by weight Emulsifier 0.1% by weight Water The remainder (2) Secondary sizing treatment: Starch type secondary sizing treatment was carried out by a sizer. LOI of secondary sizing treating agent was 1.0% for warps (0.5% by weight for the whole glass cloth). (3) Weaving method: Same as in Example 1. (4) Desizing method: By heating. (5) Surface treating method: Same as in Example 1. LOI of surface treating agent was 0.07% by weight. Comparative Example 4 (1) Primary sizing treatment with starch type sizing agent, secondary sizing treatment, weaving, desizing, and surface treatment were carried out in the same manner as in Comparative Example 3 using the same glass fibers as used in Example 2. LOI of surface treating agent was 0.08% by weight. (2) The surface treatment was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. Comparative Example 5 Glass cloth was made in the same manner as in [I], [II], [III] and [IV] of Example 1 except that LOI of sizing agent after washing with water in [III] of Example 1 was 0.30% by weight. Laminates were prepared using the glass cloth obtained in the above Examples 1-2 and Comparative Examples 1-5 as reinforcing material and G-10 type epoxy resin varnish for printed circuit substrate as matrix resin and impregnating ability of the glass cloths and properties of the laminates (water absorption and soldering heat resistance) were tested. The results are shown in Table 3 and Table 4. Preparation of laminate sheet test piece: The surface treated glass cloth was impregnated with G-10 type (JIS) epoxy resin varnish, followed by drying at 130°C for 15 minutes to obtain a prepreg. Five prepregs thus obtained (in the case of using glass cloths of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1, 3 and 5) and eight prepregs thus obtained (in the case of using glass cloths of Example 2 and Comparative Examples 2 and 4) were stacked and copper foils were put on upper and lower sides of the stack. Respective stacks were molded by heating at 175°C for 60 minutes under a load of 40 kg/cm². The copper foils were removed by etching to obtain laminate test pieces. (1) Water absorption: The laminate test piece was boiled for 45 minutes (or 75 minutes) by a pressure cooker (PC) of 133°C in an autoclave and water absorption (%) of the test piece was measured. (2) Soldering heat resistance test: The laminate test piece was boiled for 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes (or 60 minutes, 75 minutes, 90 minutes) by a pressure cooker (PC) of 133°C and thereafter, was dipped in a soldering bath of 260°C for 20 seconds and then taken out therefrom. Presence of blister on the surface or peeling was examined and boiling time before occurrence of these defects was taken as soldering heat resisting time. (3) Test on impregnating ability: A glass cloth of 10 cm x 10 cm was gently floated on a resin of 120 cps in viscosity and time required for air bubbles in the strands having completely disappeared was measured. Example 3 [I] Glass yarns: (1) Sizing treatment was conducted in the same manner as in Example 1 except using D-glass fiber: DCE 270 1/0 1Z (manufactured by Japan Electric Glass Co., Ltd.; monofilament diameter: 7µ). (2) LOI of sizing agent: 0.35% by weight [II] Weaving for making glass cloth: (1) Secondary sizing treatment: Same as in Example 1. (2) LOI of addition product by the secondary sizing treatment: 0.15% by weight for glass cloth. Therefore, total LOI by the primary and secondary sizing treatments was 0.5% by weight. (3) Weave: Same as in Example 1. (4) Method of weaving: Same as in Example 1. [III] Washing with water: Same as in Example 1. LOI of the remaining sizing agent was 0.15% by weight. [IV] Surface treatment (1) Same as in Example 1. (2) LOI after the surface treatment: 0.27% by weight Example 4 [I] Glass yarns: (1) Sizing treatment was conducted in the same manner as in Example 1 except using S-glass fiber: TCE 225 1/0 1Z (manufactured by Nitto Boseki Co., Ltd.). (2) LOI of sizing agent: 0.35% by weight [II] Weaving for making glass cloth: Same as in Example 3. [III] Washing with water: Same as in Example 3. [IV] Surface treatment: Same as in Example 3. Comparative Example 6 D-glass cloth obtained according to [I] and [II] of Example 3 was used. Accordingly, total LOI by the primary and secondary sizing treatments was 0.5% by weight. Comparative Example 7 (1) The same starch type sizing agent as used in Comparative Example 3 was applied to the same D-glass fibers as used in Example 3 by the same sizing method as in Example 3. LOI of the sizing agent was 1.6% by weight. (2) Secondary sizing treatment: Same as in Comparative Example 3. LOI of the secondary sizing agent was 0.5% by weight for the whole glass cloth. (3) Weaving method: Same as in Example 3. (4) Desizing method: Heating. (5) Surface treatment: Same as in Example 3. LOI of the surface treating agent was 0.07% by weight. Comparative Example 8 A glass cloth was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that LOI of sizing agent after washing with water of [III] of Example 3 was 0.3% by weight. Comparative Example 9 (1) The same starch type sizing agent as used in Comparative Example 3 was applied to the same S-glass fibers as used in Example 4 by the same sizing method as in example 4. LOI of the sizing agent was 1.7% by weight. (2) Secondary sizing treatment: Same as in Comparative Example 3. LOI of the second sizing agent was 0.5% by weight for the whole glass cloth. (3) Weaving method: Same as in Example 3. (4) Desizing method: Heating. (5) Surface treatment: Same as in Example 3. LOI of the surface treating agent was 0.07% by weight. Laminate was prepared by using the glass cloth obtained in the above Example 3 and Comparative Examples 6-8 as reinforcing material and G-10 type epoxy resin varnish as matrix resin and impregnation of the resin into glass cloth in the laminate and properties of the laminate (appearance and color shade, water absorption and soldering heat resistance) were tested. The results are shown in Table 5. Tensile strength of greige glass cloth just after woven and glass cloth after subjected to surface treatment which were in Example 4 and Comparative Example 9 was measured and the results are shown in Table 6. As shown in Comparative Example 7 of Table 5, in the case of D-glass cloth made from D-glass fibers using conventional starch type sizing agent and by carrying out desizing by heating, it was difficult to carry out complete desizing and laminate made using this cloth colored. On the other hand, in the case of Example 3, since the sizing agent had affinity with matrix resin and besides LOI amount of the sizing agent was reduced to 0.25% by weight or less by washing with water, the laminate produced neither colored nor whitened due to insufficient impregnation of resin. Furthermore, in Example 3 amount of sizing agent remaining after washing with water was 0.25% by weight or less which was smaller than those in Comparative Examples 6 and 8. Therefore, in Example 3, degree of gathering of yarns is low and besides, the sizing agent had affinity with matrix resin and hence impregnation of varnish resin into cloth was superior. As a result, adhesion between matrix resin and glass fiber was high and reinforcing effect of glass fiber was superior. This fact is considered to bring about the excellent water absorption and soldering heat resistance of laminate produced. Table 6 shows tensile strength of greige S-glass cloth just after woven and S-glass cloth after subjected to surface treatment in Example 4 and in Comparative Example 9. Since in Comparative Example 9, the sizing agent was removed by heat desizing, tensile strength of the cloth after subjected to surface treatment decreased to about 50-60% of that of the cloth before subjected to surface treatment while in Example 4 tensile strength after subjected to surface treatment was nearly the same as that of the greige cloth just after woven because the sizing agent was removed only by washing with high-pressure water and characteristics of S-glass fibers were exhibited. According to the present invention, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. 1. Desizing step is not necessary and thus cost can be sharply reduced. 2. Impregnation of matrix resin into glass cloth can be greatly improved. 3. Properties of laminate such as water absorption and soldering heat resistance are improved. 4. In addition to the above effects, the following advantageous effects can further be obtained in the case of glass cloth of high SiO₂ content. (a) In the case of D-glass cloth, impregnating ability for resin is high. Laminate made therefrom show no coloration and is superior in properties. Besides, there are no problems such as evaporation of B₂O₃ since heating of long time is not carried out. (b) In the case of S-glass cloth, too, glass cloth which exhibits reinforcing effect with maintaining tensile strength which is a characteristic of S-glass fibers can be obtained. (c) In the case of Q-glass cloth, too, tearing which is apt to occur in desizing by heating can be inhibited. Furthermore, when sizing agent adhering to glass cloth is removed by heat desizing and thereafter the cloth is subjected to surface treatment as in the conventional method, coupling agent present in the sizing agent does not exert complete action. When glass yarns made from glass fibers subjected to sizing treatment with a sizing agent containing silane coupling agent in the surface active state just after spinning at the time of spinning of glass fibers are used, the silane coupling agent is easily adsorbed to the surface of glass fibers and furthermore, siloxane bond (Si-O-Si) is easily produced and surface treating agent firmly adheres to glass fibers and hence even when film forming component in the sizing agent is removed by washing with water, glass cloth having desired surface can be obtained.

Claims: A method for producing a glass cloth which comprises subjecting filaments of glass fibers to sizing treatment with a sizing agent containing at least one water-soluble film forming agent selected from the group consisting of an amine-modified epoxy resin, an ethylene oxide-added epoxy resin and ethylene oxide-added bisphenol A as film forming component, forming glass yarns from the thus treated filaments, weaving the glass yarns to make a glass cloth, washing the glass cloth with water until LOI of the sizing agent to the glass cloth reaches 0.25% by weight or less, and then treating this glass cloth with a solution of a surface treating agent. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the sizing agent comprises the film forming agent, a coupling agent and a lubricant. A method according to Claim 1, wherein content of the film forming agent in the sizing agent is 1.0-5.0% by weight as an effective ingredient. A method according to Claim 2, wherein the coupling agent is a silane coupling agent. A method according to Claim 2, wherein content of the coupling agent in the sizing agent is 0.05-2.0% by weight as an effective ingredient. A method according to Claim 2, wherein the lubricant comprises tetraethylenepentamine distearate and butyl stearate. A method according to Claim 2, wherein content of the lubricant in the sizing agent is 0.03-0.15% by weight for tetraethylenepentamine distearate and 0.2-1.0% by weight for butyl stearate as an effective ingredient. A method according to Claim 1, wherein LOI of the sizing agent to the glass yarns is 0.3-1.0% by weight. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the glass yarns used as warps in weaving are subjected to sizing treatment. A method according to Claim 9, wherein sizing agent for the sizing treatment of glass yarns is the film forming agent used for sizing treatment of filaments or a mixture of this film forming agent with a lubricant. A method according to Claim 1, wherein water used for washing of the glass cloth is water as it is or water adjusted to a pH of acidic side and containing a nonionic or cationic surface active agent. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the surface treating agent is γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, N-β-(aminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, N-β-(N-vinylbenzylaminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane hydrochloride, γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, vinyl-tri(β-methoxyethoxy)silane, γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane or mixtures thereof. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the glass fibers are E-glass fibers, D-glass fibers, S-glass fibers or Q-glass fibers. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the amine-modified epoxy resin and the ethylene oxide-added epoxy resin are bisphenol type epoxy resins having 1-3 bisphenol nuclei in the molecule of epoxy resin. A resin laminate which comprises prepregs comprising the glass cloth obtained in Claim 1 which is impregnated with a matrix resin.

Inventors: INOGUCHI HIROKAZU, KATO KEIICHI, INOGUCHI, HIROKAZU, KATO, KEIICHI
Applicants: NITTO BOSEKI CO LTD, NITTO BOSEKI CO., LTD.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: C03C25
IPC codes: C03C25, H05K1, C08J5