A fine cellulose fiber composite containing fine cellulose fibers having a carboxy group and an amine having an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide (EO/PO) copolymer moiety, the fine cellulose fibers being bound with the amine at the carboxy group to form a salt, wherein the fine cellulose fibers have a carboxy group content of 0.1 mmol/g or more, and wherein the molecular weight of the EO/PO copolymer moiety is from 700 to 10,000, and wherein a PO content ratio in the EO/PO copolymer moiety is from 1 to 70% by mol. The fine cellulose fiber composite of the present invention has high dispersibility in the resin and can exhibit an effect of increasing strength, so that the fine cellulose fiber composite is suitably as various fillers, and the like.

A fine cellulose fiber composite containing fine cellulose fibers having a carboxy group and an amine having an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide (EO/PO) copolymer moiety, the fine cellulose fibers being bound with the amine at the carboxy group to form a salt, wherein the fine cellulose fibers have a carboxy group content of 0.1 mmol/g or more, and wherein the molecular weight of the EO/PO copolymer moiety is from 700 to 10,000, and wherein a PO content ratio in the EO/PO copolymer moiety is from 1 to 70% by mol. The fine cellulose fiber composite of the present invention has high dispersibility in the resin and can exhibit an effect of increasing strength, so that the fine cellulose fiber composite is suitably as various fillers, and the like.

The invention relates to an aqueous impregnation bath for reinforcement fibers for manufacturing prepregs having a thermoplastic matrix, resulting in highly satisfactory consolidation, in terms of residual porosity, of the composite material parts manufactured using the prepregs. The impregnation bath includes a least one thermoplastic polymer, a surfactant and water, and is characterized in that the surfactant is an ethoxylated stearyl alcohol of formula: HO(CH.sub.2CH.sub.2O).sub.nCH.sub.2(CH.sub.2).sub.16CH.sub.3 wherein n is 100. The invention also relates to a method for impregnating reinforcement fibers using the impregnation bath, to a method for manufacturing a prepreg having a thermoplastic matrix using the impregnation method, and to a method for manufacturing a part made of a composite material having a thermoplastic matrix using the method for manufacturing a prepreg. The invention is useful in any field for manufacturing parts made of composite materials and, specifically, in the aeronautical, space, rail, shipping and automotive industries.

The invention relates to an aqueous impregnation bath for reinforcement fibers for manufacturing prepregs having a thermoplastic matrix, resulting in highly satisfactory consolidation, in terms of residual porosity, of the composite material parts manufactured using the prepregs. The impregnation bath includes a least one thermoplastic polymer, a surfactant and water, and is characterized in that the surfactant is an ethoxylated stearyl alcohol of formula: HO(CH.sub.2CH.sub.2O).sub.nCH.sub.2(CH.sub.2).sub.16CH.sub.3 wherein n is 100. The invention also relates to a method for impregnating reinforcement fibers using the impregnation bath, to a method for manufacturing a prepreg having a thermoplastic matrix using the impregnation method, and to a method for manufacturing a part made of a composite material having a thermoplastic matrix using the method for manufacturing a prepreg. The invention is useful in any field for manufacturing parts made of composite materials and, specifically, in the aeronautical, space, rail, shipping and automotive industries.

A nonwoven fabric layered body includes a first nonwoven fabric layer including a crimped fiber (A), which is a fiber made of a thermoplastic polymer and which has an average crimp diameter of 800 ?m or less; and a hydrophilic agent.

Disclosed is a carbon fiber precursor treatment agent that contains a specific (poly)oxyalkylene derivative and a smoothing agent. The smoothing agent contains at least one selected from the group consisting of an amino-modified silicone, a polyether-modified silicone, a dimethyl silicone, and an ester compound. Assuming that the sum of the content ratios of the (poly)oxyalkylene derivative and the smoothing agent in the carbon fiber precursor treatment agent is 100% by mass, the carbon fiber precursor treatment agent contains the (poly)oxyalkylene derivative at a ratio of 5% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less and the smoothing agent at a ratio of 20% by mass or more and 95% by mass or less.

Provided is a surface treatment agent which does not use fluorine-containing monomers, particularly fluoroalkyl group-containing monomers. The surface treatment agent is a water-based emulsion which includes: a copolymer (1) which includes a first polymer formed from first monomers, and a second polymer formed from second monomers, wherein the second polymer is polymerized in the presence of the first polymer, the first monomers include a long-chain acrylate ester monomer (a) represented by the formula CH.sub.2CA.sup.11-C(O)O-A.sup.12 (in the formula, A.sup.11 represents hydrogen, a monovalent organic group, or a halogen, and A.sup.12 represents a C.sub.18-30 straight-chain or branched hydrocarbon group), the first monomers do not include a halogenated olefin monomer (b), and the second monomers include the halogenated olefin monomer (b); a surfactant (2) including a nonionic surfactant; and a liquid medium (3) including water.

Sizing agent-coated reinforcing fibers include reinforcing fibers and a sizing agent containing a polyrotaxane, the reinforcing fibers being coated with the sizing agent. Provided are sizing agent-coated reinforcing fibers that provide a fiber-reinforced composite material with excellent mechanical properties, a method for producing the sizing agent-coated reinforcing fibers, a prepreg including the sizing agent-coated reinforcing fibers, and a fiber-reinforced composite material with excellent mechanical properties including the sizing agent-coated reinforcing fibers.

Sizing agent-coated reinforcing fibers include reinforcing fibers and a sizing agent containing a polyrotaxane, the reinforcing fibers being coated with the sizing agent. Provided are sizing agent-coated reinforcing fibers that provide a fiber-reinforced composite material with excellent mechanical properties, a method for producing the sizing agent-coated reinforcing fibers, a prepreg including the sizing agent-coated reinforcing fibers, and a fiber-reinforced composite material with excellent mechanical properties including the sizing agent-coated reinforcing fibers.

A ventilation insert for textiles, with at least one layer, covered at least partially by an absorption material and having ventilation openings, the openings being at least partially closeable via a liquid by swelling of the absorption material, obtainable by: a) treating a layer having ventilation openings with a mixture, containing a wetting agent, initiator, polymerizable monomer or oligomers, and a cross-linking agent, as a preliminary stage for the absorption material; and b) polymerizing the monomer or oligomer to form the absorption material while forming a bonded connection between the absorption material and the layer. The ventilation insert has a relatively low thickness, a low weight per unit area, and high flexibility permanently and independently of moisture after economical production, via one layer, self-sealingly closing ventilation openings, and containing the absorption material. The absorption material is connected to the layer by bonding, at least in some regions.