A method manufactures a flame-retardant fiber bundle by flame retarding treatment of a polyacrylonitrile-based precursor fiber at 200-300° C. in an oxidizing atmosphere, wherein a fiber bundle is caused to travel so as to sequentially pass between an nth roller and an (n+1)th roller (n being an integer of at least 1 and no more than [m−1]) in a roller group formed from m (m being an integer of 3 or greater) contiguously set rollers, the roller axes of the m continuously set rollers being parallel to each other and perpendicular to the direction of travel of the fiber bundle, the roller diameter being 5-30 mm, and the specific gravity of the fiber bundle being 1.20-1.50.

A method of separating carbon fiber tows. The method includes separating two or more first carbon fiber tows from a first tow band onto a second elevation to form two or more second carbon fiber tows from a second tow band. The two or more second carbon fiber tows from the second tow band leave gaps next to first adjacent tows of the two or more first carbon fiber tows remaining from the first tow band after the separating step. The first adjacent tows from the first tow band leave gaps next to second adjacent tows of the two or more second carbon fiber tows from the second tow band.

A method of separating carbon fiber tows. The method includes separating two or more first carbon fiber tows from a first tow band onto a second elevation to form two or more second carbon fiber tows from a second tow band. The two or more second carbon fiber tows from the second tow band leave gaps next to first adjacent tows of the two or more first carbon fiber tows remaining from the first tow band after the separating step. The first adjacent tows from the first tow band leave gaps next to second adjacent tows of the two or more second carbon fiber tows from the second tow band.

The present invention relates to a spunbond nonwoven fabric with improved opening quality and no hazardous residue, a manufacturing method thereof, and a manufacturing apparatus thereof. The method for manufacturing a spunbond nonwoven fabric according to the present invention includes a step of allowing the continuous filament bundle to collide with a metal member containing bismuth (Bi) or a bismuth alloy to obtain filaments opened by frictional charging.

The present invention relates to a spunbond nonwoven fabric with improved opening quality and no hazardous residue, a manufacturing method thereof, and a manufacturing apparatus thereof. The method for manufacturing a spunbond nonwoven fabric according to the present invention includes a step of allowing the continuous filament bundle to collide with a metal member containing bismuth (Bi) or a bismuth alloy to obtain filaments opened by frictional charging.

A method for spreading a tow of textile non-braided filaments, preferably chemical or inorganic fibres comprises providing a tow of textile non-braided filaments extending along its own main direction and having a section transverse to the main direction with a predetermined thickness and a predetermined width, feeding the tow along a travel path and spreading the tow in order to increase its width and reduce its thickness, defining a spread tow. The step of spreading the tow includes immersing the tow in a bath and generating in the bath a sequence of transverse waves crossing the tow transversely to the main direction in order to separate and place the individual filaments side by side, thereby spreading the tow, wherein the tow entering the bath and/or the spread tow extracted from the bath is/are unsized.

A method for spreading a tow of textile non-braided filaments, preferably chemical or inorganic fibres comprises providing a tow of textile non-braided filaments extending along its own main direction and having a section transverse to the main direction with a predetermined thickness and a predetermined width, feeding the tow along a travel path and spreading the tow in order to increase its width and reduce its thickness, defining a spread tow. The step of spreading the tow includes immersing the tow in a bath and generating in the bath a sequence of transverse waves crossing the tow transversely to the main direction in order to separate and place the individual filaments side by side, thereby spreading the tow, wherein the tow entering the bath and/or the spread tow extracted from the bath is/are unsized.

A fiber-based device having a reconfigurable geometry comprises an array of hair-like fibers spaced apart on a substrate, where each hair-like fiber comprises a free end extending away from the substrate and a secured end attached to the substrate. The array has a first bundled configuration where the free ends of the hair-like fibers are drawn together into a bundle having a first cross-sectional shape, and a second bundled configuration where the free ends of the hair-like fibers are drawn together into a bundle having a second cross-sectional shape. The array is reconfigurable from the first bundled configuration to the second bundled configuration by exposure to a liquid and then removal of the liquid at a predetermined rate.

A fiber-based device having a reconfigurable geometry comprises an array of hair-like fibers spaced apart on a substrate, where each hair-like fiber comprises a free end extending away from the substrate and a secured end attached to the substrate. The array has a first bundled configuration where the free ends of the hair-like fibers are drawn together into a bundle having a first cross-sectional shape, and a second bundled configuration where the free ends of the hair-like fibers are drawn together into a bundle having a second cross-sectional shape. The array is reconfigurable from the first bundled configuration to the second bundled configuration by exposure to a liquid and then removal of the liquid at a predetermined rate.

Provided are a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin molding material by which, when the fiber-reinforced resin molding material is manufactured, separated fiber bundles can be supplied to a cutting machine in stable condition while avoiding the influence of meandering of the fiber bundles or slanting or meandering of filaments occurring in the fiber bundles. A method for manufacturing a sheet-shaped fiber-reinforced resin molding material in which spaces between filaments of cut-out fiber bundles (CF) are impregnated with resin includes, so that a condition of the following expression (1) is satisfied, intermittently separating fibers of the continuous fiber bundles (CF) in a longitudinal direction by a rotational blade (18) serving as a fiber separating part and cutting out the fiber bundles with an interval therebetween in a longitudinal direction of a cutting machine (13A) to obtain the cut-out fiber bundles (CF). Expression (1): 1≤a/L (where a represents a length of a separated part of the continuous fiber bundles (CF) and L represents an interval when the fiber bundles (CF) are cut out in the longitudinal direction.)