A method of making a fibrous preform in carbon and/or fibres of a carbon precursor may include superposing at least two layers of carbon fibres and/or fibres of a carbon precursor according to a predefined superposition axis Z so as to form a multilayer body. The method may also include needle-punching via least one first needle-punching device the multilayer body in a needle-punching direction substantially parallel to the superposition axis Z to arrange at least part of the fibres parallel to the superposition axis Z, so as to obtain a needle-punched multilayer body. An optional step may include superposing with each other according to the superposition axis Z two or more of the needle-punched multilayer bodies, obtained separately by applying the above steps.

A decorated molded body includes a decorated layer B and a support layer A, wherein the support layer A is any of a non-woven fabric (a) including at least two types of thermoplastic resin fibers, a non-woven fabric (b) including a thermoplastic resin fiber and an inorganic fiber, or a thermoplastic resin composition layer (c) having a thermoplastic resin in which an inorganic fiber is contained, the decorated layer B includes a thermoformable thermoplastic resin and is any of an easily-moldable polyester film (d), a non-woven fabric (e) including a composite fiber made from at least two types of thermoplastic resins having different melting points, the non-woven fabric (e) having a surface with projections and recesses, or a synthetic leather (f) having an organic fiber as a base material, and the decorated layer B and the support layer A are combined with each other via a heat-bonding resin.

A method for producing a gas diffusion layer for a fuel cell, including providing a fiber composition which includes carbon fibers and/or precursors of carbon fibers and subjecting the fiber composition to a method for producing a fibrous web. The method further includes consolidating the fibrous web by exposure to aqueous fluid jets to form a nonwoven, water used by the aqueous fluid jets having a conductivity of at most 250 microsiemens/cm at 25 C. If the fiber composition includes precursors of carbon fibers, the nonwoven is subjected to pyrolysis at a temperature of at least 1000 C.

A method for producing a gas diffusion layer for a fuel cell, including providing a fiber composition which includes carbon fibers and/or precursors of carbon fibers and subjecting the fiber composition to a method for producing a fibrous web. The method further includes consolidating the fibrous web by exposure to aqueous fluid jets to form a nonwoven, water used by the aqueous fluid jets having a conductivity of at most 250 microsiemens/cm at 25 C. If the fiber composition includes precursors of carbon fibers, the nonwoven is subjected to pyrolysis at a temperature of at least 1000 C.

To provide a thermoplastic resin fiber to which a dispersant is attached, which can effectively disperse carbon fibers.

A thermoplastic resin fiber to which a dispersant containing a random copolymer (A) of glycidyl ether and an alkylene oxide is attached in an amount of 0.1 to 20% by mass based on a total mass of thermoplastic resin fibers to which a dispersant is not attached.

One or more nanofiber yarns can be placed in contact with one or more nanofiber sheets. The nanofiber yarns, which include single-ply and multi-ply nanofiber yarns, provide added mechanical stability to a nanofiber sheet that decreases the likelihood of a nanofiber sheet wrinkling, folding, or otherwise becoming stuck to itself. Furthermore, the nanofiber yarns integrated with the nanofiber sheet can also act as a mechanism to prevent the propagation of tears through the nanofiber sheet. In some cases, an infiltrating material can be infiltrated into interstitial spaces defined by the nanofibers within both the nanofiber yarns and the nanofiber sheets. The infiltrating material can then form a continuous network throughout the nanofiber yarns and the nanofiber sheet.

One or more nanofiber yarns can be placed in contact with one or more nanofiber sheets. The nanofiber yarns, which include single-ply and multi-ply nanofiber yarns, provide added mechanical stability to a nanofiber sheet that decreases the likelihood of a nanofiber sheet wrinkling, folding, or otherwise becoming stuck to itself. Furthermore, the nanofiber yarns integrated with the nanofiber sheet can also act as a mechanism to prevent the propagation of tears through the nanofiber sheet. In some cases, an infiltrating material can be infiltrated into interstitial spaces defined by the nanofibers within both the nanofiber yarns and the nanofiber sheets. The infiltrating material can then form a continuous network throughout the nanofiber yarns and the nanofiber sheet.

Fiber-reinforced nonwoven composites having a wide variety of uses (e.g., leisure goods, aerospace, electronics, equipment, energy generation, mass transport, automotive parts, marine, construction, defense, sports and/or the like) are provided. The fiber-reinforced nonwoven composite includes a plurality of carbon fibers and a polymer matrix. The plurality of carbon fibers have an average fiber length from about 50 mm to about 125 mm. The fiber-reinforced nonwoven composite comprises a theoretical void volume from about 0% to about 10%.

Fiber-reinforced nonwoven composites having a wide variety of uses (e.g., leisure goods, aerospace, electronics, equipment, energy generation, mass transport, automotive parts, marine, construction, defense, sports and/or the like) are provided. The fiber-reinforced nonwoven composite includes a plurality of carbon fibers and a polymer matrix. The plurality of carbon fibers have an average fiber length from about 50 mm to about 125 mm. The fiber-reinforced nonwoven composite comprises a theoretical void volume from about 0% to about 10%.

A fabric of nanofibers that includes an adhesive is described. The nanofibers can be twisted or both twisted and coiled prior to formation into a fabric. The adhesive can be selectively applied to or infiltrated within portions of the nanofibers comprising the nanofiber fabric. The adhesive enables connection of the nanofiber fabric to an underlying substrate, even in cases in which the underlying substrate has a three-dimensional topography, while the selective location of the adhesive on the fabric limits the contact area between the adhesive and the nanofibers of the nanofiber fabric. This limited contact area can help preserve the beneficial properties of the nanofibers (e.g., thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, infra-red (IR) radiation transparency) that otherwise might be degraded by the presence of adhesive.