A thermoplastic prepreg includes a mat, web, or fabric of fibers and hollow glass microspheres that are positioned atop the mat, web, or fabric of fibers or dispersed therein. The thermoplastic prepreg also includes a thermoplastic polymer that is fully impregnated through the mat, web, or fabric of fibers and the hollow glass microspheres so that the thermoplastic prepreg has a void content of less than 3% by volume of the thermoplastic prepreg. The thermoplastic material is polymerized monomers and oligomers in which greater than 90% by weight of the monomers or oligomers react to form the thermoplastic material.

A protein surface layer is formed on a surface of a base fiber comprising a natural protein fiber including silk or a synthetic protein fiber including Chinon. The protein surface layer is divided in a plurality of particles by cracks. The resultant fibers with the protein surface layer divided in particles by cracks affords bulky textile products with an improved texture.

According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg includes a mechanism for moving a fabric or mat and a drying mechanism that removes residual moisture from at least one surface of the fabric or mat. The system also includes a resin application mechanism that applies a reactive resin to the fabric or mat and a press mechanism that presses the coated fabric or mat to ensure that the resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the coated fabric or mat is moved to polymerize the resin and thereby form a thermoplastic polymer so that upon exiting the oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer. During at least a portion of the process, humidity in the vicinity of the coated fabric or mat is maintained at substantially zero.

The use of a sulfonated polyaryl ether ketone or of a sulfonated non-polymeric aryl ether ketone as a dispersant for a polyaryl ether ketone resin powder in an aqueous solution, and also to a corresponding composition, and to a process for preparing a semifinished product comprising a polyaryl ether ketone resin and reinforcing fibers.

The use of a sulfonated polyaryl ether ketone or of a sulfonated non-polymeric aryl ether ketone as a dispersant for a polyaryl ether ketone resin powder in an aqueous solution, and also to a corresponding composition, and to a process for preparing a semifinished product comprising a polyaryl ether ketone resin and reinforcing fibers.

A press-bonded body or a method for producing the same is provided, such that the press-bonded body is a press-bonded body of at least one of a base material selected from the group consisting of non-woven fabric, stretched porous film, and fiber. The base material contains a fluorine resin (except for polytetrafluoroethylene) having a —CF2- group content of 85% by mass or greater. Polytetrafluoroethylene fibrils bond fibers constitute the base material, and in relation to the entirety of the fibrils, the proportion of the number of fibrils that are oriented at an angle of 45° to 90° relative to the direction of the fibers constituting the base material is 50% or greater.

A thermoplastic prepreg includes a mat, web, or fabric of fibers and hollow glass microspheres that are positioned atop the mat, web, or fabric of fibers or dispersed therein. The thermoplastic prepreg also includes a thermoplastic polymer that is fully impregnated through the mat, web, or fabric of fibers and the hollow glass microspheres so that the thermoplastic prepreg has a void content of less than 3% by volume of the thermoplastic prepreg. The thermoplastic material is polymerized monomers and oligomers in which greater than 90% by weight of the monomers or oligomers react to form the thermoplastic material.

A thermoplastic prepreg includes a mat, web, or fabric of fibers and hollow glass microspheres that are positioned atop the mat, web, or fabric of fibers or dispersed therein. The thermoplastic prepreg also includes a thermoplastic polymer that is fully impregnated through the mat, web, or fabric of fibers and the hollow glass microspheres so that the thermoplastic prepreg has a void content of less than 3% by volume of the thermoplastic prepreg. The thermoplastic material is polymerized monomers and oligomers in which greater than 90% by weight of the monomers or oligomers react to form the thermoplastic material.

Provided are a sizing agent coated carbon fiber bundle that has excellent mechanical characteristics when used as a carbon fiber reinforced composite material, as well as excellent ease of handling; a method for manufacturing the same; and a prepreg and carbon fiber reinforced composite material of excellent mechanical characteristics, employing the fiber bundle. The carbon fiber bundle is coated with a sizing agent that includes a polyether aliphatic epoxy compound having two or more epoxy groups per molecule and/or a polyol aliphatic epoxy compound or a non-water-soluble compound having a glass transition temperature of −100-50° C., wherein the sizing agent coated carbon fiber bundle is characterized in that the flatness ratio (width/thickness) of the carbon fiber bundle cross section is 10-150, and a two edge part/center part sizing agent deposition ratio, obtained by dividing the carbon fiber bundle in the width direction along the fiber direction into three equal parts by mass, and computing the ratio from the ratio of the mass of the sizing agent to the mass of the carbon fiber bundle in the center part and in both end parts, is 1.05-1.5.

Provided are a sizing agent coated carbon fiber bundle that has excellent mechanical characteristics when used as a carbon fiber reinforced composite material, as well as excellent ease of handling; a method for manufacturing the same; and a prepreg and carbon fiber reinforced composite material of excellent mechanical characteristics, employing the fiber bundle. The carbon fiber bundle is coated with a sizing agent that includes a polyether aliphatic epoxy compound having two or more epoxy groups per molecule and/or a polyol aliphatic epoxy compound or a non-water-soluble compound having a glass transition temperature of −100-50° C., wherein the sizing agent coated carbon fiber bundle is characterized in that the flatness ratio (width/thickness) of the carbon fiber bundle cross section is 10-150, and a two edge part/center part sizing agent deposition ratio, obtained by dividing the carbon fiber bundle in the width direction along the fiber direction into three equal parts by mass, and computing the ratio from the ratio of the mass of the sizing agent to the mass of the carbon fiber bundle in the center part and in both end parts, is 1.05-1.5.