A prepreg comprising: carbon fibers; and a resin composition containing an epoxy resin having a biphenyl structure, a curing agent, and melamine cyanurate.

Provided are a prepreg and an epoxy resin composition that can shorten the combustion time of a molded article. The present invention comprises a prepreg which is formed by impregnating a carbon fiber base material with an epoxy resin composition, wherein the epoxy resin composition comprises component (A): an organic phosphinate metal salt, component (B): an epoxy resin having an oxazolidone structure, and component (C): an imidazole compound or an imidazole compound derivative, and may comprise component (D) a urea compound.

A one-component thermosetting epoxy resin adhesive, including a) at least one epoxy resin A of formula (II) ##STR00001##
wherein substituents R′ and R″ independently of one another are H or CH.sub.3 and index s has value of 0-12, fraction of epoxy resin A being from 20-70 wt.-%, based on total weight of one-component thermosetting epoxy resin adhesive; and b) at least one epoxy novolac EN of formula ##STR00002##
where R2= ##STR00003##
or CH.sub.2, R1=H or methyl and z=0-7, fraction of epoxy novolac EN being from 1-8 wt.-% based on total weight of one-component thermosetting epoxy resin adhesive; and c) at least one latent hardener B for epoxy resins; and d) at least one accelerator C for epoxy resins; and e) at least at least one toughness improver D, fraction of toughness improver D being from 5-40 wt.-%, based on total weight of one-component thermosetting epoxy resin adhesive.

A prepreg may include: a reinforcing fiber material including carbon fibers; and a resin composition with which the reinforcing fiber material is impregnated. The resin composition may include an epoxy resin (A), an amine curing agent (B), and an imidazole curing agent (C). The amine curing agent (B) may be present in a range of from 1 to 3.8 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the epoxy resin (A). The amine curing agent (B) and the imidazole curing agent (C) may be present in a total amount of not more than 10 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the epoxy resin (A). The imidazole curing agent may include an imidazole compound including, in its molecular structure, a triazine ring.

A one-component thermosetting epoxy resin adhesive, including a) at least one epoxy resin A of formula (II)

##STR00001##

wherein substituents R′ and R″ independently of one another are H or CH.sub.3 and index s has value of 0-12, fraction of epoxy resin A being from 20-70 wt.-%, based on total weight of one-component thermosetting epoxy resin adhesive; and b) at least one epoxy novolac EN of formula

##STR00002##

where R2=

##STR00003##

methyl and z=0-7, fraction of epoxy novolac EN being from 1-8 wt.-% based on total weight of one-component thermosetting epoxy resin adhesive; and c) at least one latent hardener B for epoxy resins; and d) at least one accelerator C for epoxy resins; and e) at least at least one toughness improver D, fraction of toughness improver D being from 5-40 wt.-%, based on total weight of one-component thermosetting epoxy resin adhesive.

Curable compositions are provided including a curable system that requires a thermally generated amine to cause curing of the system, and a self-assembled particle distributed in the curable system. The curable system contains at least one reactive moiety and the self-assembled particle comprises a reactive amine ionically bound to a chromonic network. A multilayer article is also provided, including a substrate, a chromonic amine layer disposed on the substrate, and a curable layer disposed on the chromonic amine layer. Methods of making a cured composition and of adhering two substrates together are further provided.

A one-component thermosetting epoxy resin includes compositions that are particularly suitable for the bonding of substrates having different coefficients of thermal expansion, especially in the shell construction of modes of transport or white goods. The one-component thermosetting epoxy resin composition includes a) at least one epoxy resin A having an average of more than one epoxy group per molecule; b) at least one 2,4-diamino-1,3,5-triazine GU containing, in the 6 position, —an alkyl radical having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, in which one hydrogen atom in the α position has been replaced by a 2,4-diamino-1,3,5-triazin-6-yl radical, a cycloalkyl radical having 5 to 12 carbon atoms or -an aryl radical having 6 to 12 carbon atoms; and c) at least one toughness improver D, which is a terminally blocked polyurethane polymer D1.

Trisubstituted triazines having the formula:

##STR00001##

wherein: X is O and n is 0 or 1, Y is OH, NH.sub.2 or CH.sub.2NH.sub.2, Q is P, PO, CH or N, when Q is P, R is phenyl, when Q is PO, Z is R or OR, and R is alkyl or phenyl, when Q is CH, Z is PO(R).sub.2 or PO(OR).sub.2, when Q is N, Z is R, and their uses as epoxy and cyclic carbonate polymer curing agents.

The present invention relates to multicoat paint systems comprising basecoats and clearcoats with high solids fractions that each comprise at least one sulfonic acid compound of formula (I) or formula (II). The invention further relates to a method of producing these multicoat paint systems and to their use, and also to substrates coated with the multicoat paint system. The invention relates, furthermore, to the use of the sulfonic acid compounds of formula (I) and formula (II) in basecoats and clearcoats with high solids fractions.

The present invention relates to rapid-curing resin formulations as well as fiber-reinforced composite materials comprising the same and their use in the manufacture of molded articles, particularly where the manufacturing process requires high throughput and where resin formulations having consistent handling characteristics (e.g., tack and flexibility) would be preferable across normal to elevated laminating environments (as defined by temperatures between 20 C. and 60 C.). The present invention further relates to a manufacturing process for preparing an article, particularly a molded article, from a fiber-reinforced composite material comprising a rapid-curing resin formulation.