A fiber composite material includes mixed fibers including a plant fiber and an ultrahigh-strength elongation fiber and thermoplastic resin that binds the mixed fibers each other. The ultrahigh-strength elongation fiber has tensile modulus that is 4000 MPa or greater and is greater than tensile modulus of the thermoplastic resin and has tensile elongation at break that is greater than tensile elongation at break of the plant fiber.

Hollow beads having a skin of thermoplastic elastomer and a gas-filled cell are useful in the manufacture of shaped porous articles by thermally bonding or adhering the hollow beads together.

A bonding method for joining two structural parts using a curable adhesive layer having a fibrous veil embedded therein. The fibrous veil carries a polymeric binder, which is in a solid phase at room temperature (20 C-25 C.) and is capable of dissolving into the adhesive composition during curing thereof.

A heat-insulating housing (21) includes: a wall body; and an open-cell resin body (4) of thermosetting resin with which a heat-insulating space formed by the wall body is filled by integral foaming, the open-cell resin body including: a plurality of cells (47); a cell film portion (42); a cell skeleton portion (43); a first through-hole (44) formed so as to extend through the cell film portion; and a second through-hole (45) formed so as to extend through the cell skeleton portion, wherein the plurality of cells communicate with one another through the first through-hole and the second through-hole.

A masterbatch is disclosed, along with associated methods, and biodegradable filaments, fibers, yarns and fabrics. The masterbatch includes 0.2 to 5 mass % CaCO.sub.3, an aliphatic polyester with a repeat unit having from two to six carbons in the chain between ester groups, with the proviso that the 2 to 6 carbons in the chain do not include side chain carbons, and a carrier polymer selected from the group consisting of PET, nylon, other thermoplastic polymers, and combinations thereof.

According to the present invention, there is provided a prepreg characterized by including a reinforcing fiber substrate composed of a reinforcing fiber, and an epoxy resin composition with which the reinforcing fiber substrate is partially or wholly impregnated, in which the epoxy resin composition includes, as an essential component, an epoxy resin, an amine-based curing agent, and a polyamide particle, the epoxy resin composition includes, as an optional component, an epoxy resin-soluble thermoplastic resin; and an epoxy group is introduced to the surface of the polyamide particle, and/or at least one of the epoxy resin, the amine-based curing agent, and the epoxy resin-soluble thermoplastic resin, included in the epoxy resin composition, partially permeates into the polyamide particle.

A composite fusion filament is disclosed that includes a polymer encasement and one or more mesogenic reinforcement bodies contained within the polymer encasement. The polymer encasement is comprised of a thermoplastic polymer, which has a melting temperature, and each of the one or more mesogenic reinforcement bodies is comprised of a thermotropic liquid crystal polymer, which has a clearing temperature. The melting temperature of the thermoplastic polymer included in the polymer encasement is less than the clearing temperature of the thermotropic liquid crystal polymer included in the one or more mesogenic reinforcement bodies. Additionally, the thermotropic liquid crystal polymer of each mesogenic reinforcement body has a plurality of organized crystalline fibrils that are aligned lengthwise along a longitudinal axis of the polymer encasement. A method of using the composite fusion filament to form a bond with a substrate that includes a thermoplastic polymer is also disclosed.

Methods of forming a lightweight reinforced thermoplastic core layer and articles including the core layer are described. In some examples, the methods use a combination of thermoplastic material, reinforcing fibers and bicomponent fibers to enhance retention of lofting agents in the core layer. The processes permit the use of less material while still providing sufficient lofting capacity in the final formed core layer.

There is provided an epoxy resin composition having excellent adhesion to copper and aluminum, and having excellent adhesion in a low-temperature environment. The epoxy resin composition comprises (A) an epoxy resin and (B) a copolymer nylon powder.

The invention relates to a process for producing a foam molded part, wherein a foamable material S comprising a thermoplastic polymer matrix M and at least one foaming agent F is foamed by foam injection molding. The polymer matrix M is preferably based on at least one thermoplastic styrene copolymer, such as ABS and ASA, and wherein the at least one foaming agent F is selected from chemical foaming agents, releasing carbon dioxide, and physical foaming agents, being carbon dioxide or nitrogen.