Patent ID: 6893604

Claim:
A method to reinforce a thin all hollow storage vessel formed with a solid thermoplastic organic polymer while being physically suspended in a hollow condition which comprises: (a) wrapping a plurality of continuous juxtapositioned reinforcement fibers formed with a material composition selected from the group consisting of ceramics, metals, carbon and organic poloymers while in an unbonded condition about the outer surface of said suspended storage vessel, said reinforcement fibers being applied at a predetermined spatial angle for maximum effectiveness in withstanding the applied internal stress when the reinforced storage vessel is subseguently put into service, (b) externally heating the outer fiber wrapped vessel surface sufficiently to cause thermal bonding between the reinforcement fibers and said outer vessel surface while not further melting said underlying suspended storage vessel, (c) contemporaneously pressurizing the interior cavity of said suspended fiber wrapped storage vessel with a coolant medium during said heating steps, and (d) allowing the suspended fiber wrapped storage vessel to cool upon terminating said heating step before discontinuing pressurization of the vessel interior cavity.