Disclosed is a fiber-reinforced composite and methods and apparatuses for making the same. Some fiber-reinforced composites include a matrix material including a thermoplastic material and a non-woven fibrous region having a plurality of continuous fibers dispersed in the matrix material, wherein the width and the length of the non-woven fibrous region are substantially equal to the width and the length, respectively, of the liber-reinforced composite, wherein the non-woven fibrous region has a mean relative area fiber coverage (RFAC) (%) of from 65 to 90 and a coefficient of variance (COV) (%) of from 3 to 20, and wherein each of the plurality of continuous fibers is substantially aligned with the length of the fiber-reinforced composite.

Disclosed is a fiber-reinforced composite and methods and apparatuses for making the same. Some fiber-reinforced composites include a matrix material including a thermoplastic material and a non-woven fibrous region having a plurality of continuous fibers dispersed in the matrix material, wherein the width and the length of the non-woven fibrous region are substantially equal to the width and the length, respectively, of the liber-reinforced composite, wherein the non-woven fibrous region has a mean relative area fiber coverage (RFAC) (%) of from 65 to 90 and a coefficient of variance (COV) (%) of from 3 to 20, and wherein each of the plurality of continuous fibers is substantially aligned with the length of the fiber-reinforced composite.

A method of manufacturing and a device for manufacturing a partial split-fiber fiber bundle and a partial split-fiber fiber bundle obtained are characterized by piercing a fiber splitting means provided with a plurality of protruding parts into a fiber bundle formed from a plurality of single fibers while making the fiber bundle travel along the longitudinal direction thereof and creating a split-fiber processed part, forming entangled parts where single fibers are interlaced at contact parts with the protruding parts in at least one split-fiber processed part, thereafter pulling the fiber splitting means out of the fiber bundle, and after passing through an entanglement accumulation part including the entangled parts, once again piercing the fiber splitting means into the fiber bundle.

A method of manufacturing and a device for manufacturing a partial split-fiber fiber bundle and a partial split-fiber fiber bundle obtained are characterized by piercing a fiber splitting means provided with a plurality of protruding parts into a fiber bundle formed from a plurality of single fibers while making the fiber bundle travel along the longitudinal direction thereof and creating a split-fiber processed part, forming entangled parts where single fibers are interlaced at contact parts with the protruding parts in at least one split-fiber processed part, thereafter pulling the fiber splitting means out of the fiber bundle, and after passing through an entanglement accumulation part including the entangled parts, once again piercing the fiber splitting means into the fiber bundle.

A method of spreading fiber tows includes assembling a fibrous composite from a plurality of tows, applying an aqueous solution to the fibrous composite, freezing the fibrous composite after applying the aqueous solution, freeze drying the fibrous composite to remove water from the fibrous composite, and heating the fibrous composite after freeze drying to remove a cryoprotectant from the fibrous composite. The aqueous solution comprises water and the cryoprotectant and freezing the fibrous composite spreads filaments within the plurality of fiber tows.

A method and a device for opening a fiber bundle, capable of performing a fluctuating operation, at a high speed, of pushing a part of a conveyed fiber bundle by a contact member into a stress state and then separating the contact member from the fiber bundle so as to temporarily relax the fiber bundle, and also capable of reducing damage to the fiber bundle. The device for opening a fiber bundle includes a conveying portion 5 for pulling out a fiber bundle Tm from a yarn feeding body 11 and conveying it in a fiber length direction, a fiber-opening processing portion 3 for opening the fiber bundle by moving a fiber in a width direction while bending the fiber by letting a fluid pass through the conveyed fiber bundle Tm, and a fluctuation imparting portion 4 for rotating a contact member 42 in a direction inclined with respect to a conveyance direction while bringing it into contact with the conveyed fiber bundle Tm and pushing a part of the fiber bundle Tm into a stress state, and then separating the contact member 42 from the fiber bundle Tm in the stress state so as to temporarily bring the fiber bundle Tm into a relaxed state.

A method and a device for opening a fiber bundle, capable of performing a fluctuating operation, at a high speed, of pushing a part of a conveyed fiber bundle by a contact member into a stress state and then separating the contact member from the fiber bundle so as to temporarily relax the fiber bundle, and also capable of reducing damage to the fiber bundle. The device for opening a fiber bundle includes a conveying portion 5 for pulling out a fiber bundle Tm from a yarn feeding body 11 and conveying it in a fiber length direction, a fiber-opening processing portion 3 for opening the fiber bundle by moving a fiber in a width direction while bending the fiber by letting a fluid pass through the conveyed fiber bundle Tm, and a fluctuation imparting portion 4 for rotating a contact member 42 in a direction inclined with respect to a conveyance direction while bringing it into contact with the conveyed fiber bundle Tm and pushing a part of the fiber bundle Tm into a stress state, and then separating the contact member 42 from the fiber bundle Tm in the stress state so as to temporarily bring the fiber bundle Tm into a relaxed state.

A partially separated fiber bundle includes a separated fiber section and an unseparated fiber section, being configured to give a ratio A.sub.max/A.sub.min of 1.1 or larger and 3 or smaller, when the number of fiber bundles contained in the width direction of the partially separated fiber bundle (fiber separating number: N.sub.n) measured at a freely selected point P.sub.n (where, n represents an integer of 1 to 100, and freely selected points P.sub.n and P.sub.n+1, excluding n=100, being 50 cm or more away from each other), is divided by a full width of W.sub.n of the partially separated fiber bundle, to calculate the fiber separating number per unit width A.sub.n, and assuming its maximum value as A.sub.max and its minimum value as A.sub.min.

A partially separated fiber bundle includes a separated fiber section and an unseparated fiber section, being configured to give a ratio A.sub.max/A.sub.min of 1.1 or larger and 3 or smaller, when the number of fiber bundles contained in the width direction of the partially separated fiber bundle (fiber separating number: N.sub.n) measured at a freely selected point P.sub.n (where, n represents an integer of 1 to 100, and freely selected points P.sub.n and P.sub.n+1, excluding n=100, being 50 cm or more away from each other), is divided by a full width of W.sub.n of the partially separated fiber bundle, to calculate the fiber separating number per unit width A.sub.n, and assuming its maximum value as A.sub.max and its minimum value as A.sub.min.

A method of producing an opened fiber bundle is in a space-saving manner. The method of continuously producing an opened fiber bundle for a cleaning member, includes the steps of (a.sub.1) providing (i) first nip rolls, (ii) second nip rolls, (iii) third nip rolls, and (iv) an air feeder; (a.sub.2) conveying a fiber bundle using the first nip rolls and the second nip rolls to apply a tensile force to the fiber bundle; (a.sub.3) conveying the fiber bundle using the second nip rolls and the third nip rolls to relax the fiber bundle, thereby forming a belt-shaped fiber bundle; and (a.sub.4) blowing air from the air feeder in a direction intersecting with the conveying direction of the first belt-shaped fiber bundle.