Glass fiber products, including glass fiber mat and insulation products, are described. A glass fiber mat may include glass fibers and a binder. The binder may include cured products from a carbohydrate binder composition. The carbohydrate binder composition may include a carbohydrate, a nitrogen-containing compound, and a thickening agent. The carbohydrate binder composition may have a Brookfield viscosity of 7 to 50 centipoise at 20? C. as measured with a Brookfield viscometer using spindle 18 at 60 rpm. Glass fiber mats may include a component of a roofing shingle. Glass fiber mats may be a facer, battery separator, a filtration media, or a backing mat.

A reinforcing fiber bundle is a continuous reinforcing fiber bundle having a length of at least 1 m and is characterized by the number of monofilaments per unit width being at most 1,600/mm and the average number of fibers in the bundle being at most 1,000 in a region (I), and the drape level found in a region (II) being 120-240 mm. The continuous reinforcing fiber bundle has a length of at least 1 m and is characterized by the adhesion amount of a sizing agent (I) in the region (I) being 0.5-10% by weight and the drape level found in the region (II) being 120-240 mm. The continuous reinforcing fiber bundle has superior mechanical properties, formability into complex shapes, and continuous producibility.

The present disclosure relates to composites. One composite may include a resin and oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers. The oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers may be provided as a nonwoven fabric. An additional composite may include a resin and material scraps respectively including carbon fibers. The material scraps may be positioned to at least partially overlap one another and define a substantially continuous layer. The material scraps may be provided as a fabric and/or a plurality of loose fibers.

The present disclosure relates to composites. One composite may include a resin and oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers. The oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers may be provided as a nonwoven fabric. An additional composite may include a resin and material scraps respectively including carbon fibers. The material scraps may be positioned to at least partially overlap one another and define a substantially continuous layer. The material scraps may be provided as a fabric and/or a plurality of loose fibers.

A system for debundling fiber tow into chopped fibers is provided that has one or more reels of fiber tow, a cutting element configured to receive the fiber tow to form chopped fiber, and a tube with introduced gas flow configured to receive the chopped fiber. A moving belt is positioned under the tube to collect the chopped fiber. A dispenser is positioned along the moving belt for applying a binder or additive. A treatment chamber receives the treated chopped fiber. A process for debundling fiber tow into chopped fibers is provided that supplies one or more reels of fiber tow to a cutting system, drops the chopped fiber into a tube with introduced gas flow to debundle the chopped fiber with a vortex, collects the chopped fiber exiting the tube onto a moving belt, chemically treats the chopped fiber, and provides the chemically treated chopped to a treatment chamber.

A system for debundling fiber tow into chopped fibers is provided that has one or more reels of fiber tow, a cutting element configured to receive the fiber tow to form chopped fiber, and a tube with introduced gas flow configured to receive the chopped fiber. A moving belt is positioned under the tube to collect the chopped fiber. A dispenser is positioned along the moving belt for applying a binder or additive. A treatment chamber receives the treated chopped fiber. A process for debundling fiber tow into chopped fibers is provided that supplies one or more reels of fiber tow to a cutting system, drops the chopped fiber into a tube with introduced gas flow to debundle the chopped fiber with a vortex, collects the chopped fiber exiting the tube onto a moving belt, chemically treats the chopped fiber, and provides the chemically treated chopped to a treatment chamber.

Techniques are described for infiltrating a nanofiber yarn with an infiltration material and removing a surface layer of the infiltration material on at least a portion of the infiltrated nanofiber yarn. This enables an infiltration method by which the infiltration material is selectively disposed within an interior of a nanofiber yarn and not disposed on an exterior surface of at least a portion of a nanofiber yarn. Electrical connection can be established by mechanically connecting an electrode (e.g., a conductive clamp or fitting) directly to the exposed surface of the nanofiber yarn.

There is provided a random mat including reinforcing fibers having an average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm and a thermoplastic resin, wherein the reinforcing fibers satisfy the following i) to iii). i) The reinforcing fibers have a weight-average fiber width (Ww) which satisfies the following equation (1).
0 mm<Ww<2.8 mm(1) ii) The reinforcing fibers have an average-fiber-width dispersion ratio (Ww/Wn), which is defined as a ratio of the weight-average fiber width (Ww) to a number-average fiber width (Wn), of 1.00 or more and 2.00 or less. iii) The reinforcing fibers have a weight-average fiber thickness which is smaller than the weight-average fiber width (Ww) thereof.

There is provided a random mat including reinforcing fibers having an average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm and a thermoplastic resin, wherein the reinforcing fibers satisfy the following i) to iii). i) The reinforcing fibers have a weight-average fiber width (Ww) which satisfies the following equation (1).
0 mm<Ww<2.8 mm(1) ii) The reinforcing fibers have an average-fiber-width dispersion ratio (Ww/Wn), which is defined as a ratio of the weight-average fiber width (Ww) to a number-average fiber width (Wn), of 1.00 or more and 2.00 or less. iii) The reinforcing fibers have a weight-average fiber thickness which is smaller than the weight-average fiber width (Ww) thereof.

Soy protein and carbohydrate containing binder compositions are described. The binder compositions may include a carbohydrate, a nitrogen-containing compound, and a soy protein. The binder compositions may also optionally include thickening agents such as modified celluloses and polysaccharides.