The invention relates to a method for the manufacture of thermoplastic fibrous materials comprising forming at least one foamed liquid comprising water and at least one foaming agent, forming a dispersion by dispersing fibers including long fibers in said at least one foamed liquid comprising water and at least one foaming agent, mixing the dispersion with a foamable liquid or dispersion comprising at least one thermoplastic polymer, forming at least one foamed dispersion, and conveying the foamed dispersion or dispersions to a foraminous support and draining liquid trough the foraminous support to form a web or a sheet, to obtain the thermoplastic fibrous material. The invention also relates to materials and products obtainable by the method, and uses related thereto.

The invention relates to a method for the manufacture of thermoplastic fibrous materials comprising forming at least one foamed liquid comprising water and at least one foaming agent, forming a dispersion by dispersing fibers including long fibers in said at least one foamed liquid comprising water and at least one foaming agent, mixing the dispersion with a foamable liquid or dispersion comprising at least one thermoplastic polymer, forming at least one foamed dispersion, and conveying the foamed dispersion or dispersions to a foraminous support and draining liquid trough the foraminous support to form a web or a sheet, to obtain the thermoplastic fibrous material. The invention also relates to materials and products obtainable by the method, and uses related thereto.

A carbon fiber mat has discontinuous carbon fibers dispersed in the form of monofilaments, wherein the orientation direction of the monofilaments of the discontinuous carbon fibers is random, number average fiber length (L.sub.n) is at least 1.5 mm and up to 15 mm, and proportion in number (Pa) of the discontinuous carbon fiber monofilaments having a fiber length in the range of median fiber length (L.sub.c)±20% is at least 40% and up to 99%.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) exhibit high electrical and thermal conductivity and good mechanical properties, making them suitable fillers for composites. Their effectiveness as a filler is affected by their state of aggregation. Novel ordered helical wrapping of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) has been achieved on single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). This carbon nanotube composite not only thwarts CNT aggregation, but also may be successfully leveraged for applications such as electrical energy storage and mechanical reinforcement.

A process of producing a porous electrode substrate, including: dispersing first short carbon fibers and producing a first precursor sheet not having a three-dimensional entangled structure of the first short carbon fibers; treating the first precursor sheet such that the first short carbon fibers in the first precursor sheet are entangled and that a second precursor sheet having a three-dimensional entangled structure of the first short carbon fibers is obtained; dispersing second short carbon fibers on the second precursor sheet such that a porous electrode precursor sheet including the second precursor sheet and a third precursor sheet not having a three-dimensional entangled structure of the second short carbon fibers and stacked on the second precursor sheet is obtained; and carbonization treating the porous electrode substrate precursor sheet at a temperature of at least 1000° C. to obtain the porous electrode substrate.

A process of producing a porous electrode substrate, including: dispersing first short carbon fibers and producing a first precursor sheet not having a three-dimensional entangled structure of the first short carbon fibers; treating the first precursor sheet such that the first short carbon fibers in the first precursor sheet are entangled and that a second precursor sheet having a three-dimensional entangled structure of the first short carbon fibers is obtained; dispersing second short carbon fibers on the second precursor sheet such that a porous electrode precursor sheet including the second precursor sheet and a third precursor sheet not having a three-dimensional entangled structure of the second short carbon fibers and stacked on the second precursor sheet is obtained; and carbonization treating the porous electrode substrate precursor sheet at a temperature of at least 1000° C. to obtain the porous electrode substrate.

A method may produce a heat-resistant resin composite excellent in heat resistance and bending properties. This heat-resistant resin composite is constituted of a matrix resin and reinforcing fibers dispersed in the matrix resin. The matrix resin is constituted of a heat-resistant thermoplastic polymer having a glass transition temperature of 100° C. or higher, and a polyester-based polymer comprising a terephthalic acid unit (A) and an isophthalic acid unit (B) at a copolymerization proportion (molar ratio) of (A)/(B)=100/0 to 40/60. The proportion of the heat-resistant thermoplastic polymer in the composite is 30 to 80 wt %.

A method may produce a heat-resistant resin composite excellent in heat resistance and bending properties. This heat-resistant resin composite is constituted of a matrix resin and reinforcing fibers dispersed in the matrix resin. The matrix resin is constituted of a heat-resistant thermoplastic polymer having a glass transition temperature of 100° C. or higher, and a polyester-based polymer comprising a terephthalic acid unit (A) and an isophthalic acid unit (B) at a copolymerization proportion (molar ratio) of (A)/(B)=100/0 to 40/60. The proportion of the heat-resistant thermoplastic polymer in the composite is 30 to 80 wt %.

A conductive composite including: a polymer matrix including a microcellulose fiber; and at least two conductive nanomaterials dispersed in the polymer matrix, wherein the conductive nanomaterial includes a metal nanowire, wherein the at least two of the conductive nanomaterials provide an assembled layer surrounding a surface of the microcellulose fiber.

Provided is a method of producing a structure for producing a casting, including: a process (I) of obtaining a slurry composition containing an organic fiber, an inorganic fiber, a thermosetting resin, and water; a process (II) of obtaining a fiber laminate by subjecting the slurry composition to papermaking; and a process (III) of dehydrating the fiber laminate and thereafter drying the resultant, in which the process (I) includes a process (I-1) of beating a mixture containing the organic fiber and water, a process (I-2) of mixing the mixture obtained in the process (I-1) and water, and a process (I-3) of mixing the mixture obtained in the process (I-2) and the inorganic fiber, the thermosetting resin is mixed in at least any of the process (I-1), the process (I-2), and the process (I-3), and an average fiber length of the inorganic fiber in the structure for producing a casting is 1 mm or longer and 5 mm or shorter.