A fiber reinforced resin molded article includes an impregnated site made up only from a fiber reinforced resin layer, and a functional site made up from a resin layer for molding that does not contain reinforcing fibers. The functional site is set to be thicker than the impregnated site.

A fiber reinforced resin molded article includes a fiber reinforced resin layer, and a functional site made up from a resin layer for molding that does not contain reinforcing fibers. An insert member is retained in an integrated manner in the functional site.

A composite structure is provided. The structure includes at least one ply of preimpregnated material formed into a curved elongated member of continuous fibers onto a mandrel. The fibers have a select orientation. The curved elongated member has a length and a cross-sectional geometry that varies along the length.

Apparatuses for forming a composite structure are configured to provide a tension at least partially along at least one ply of material as the at least one ply of material is supplied from a material feed assembly to a tool.

A functionalized carbon fiber having covalently bound on its surface a partially cured epoxy or amine-containing sizing agent, wherein at least a portion of epoxide or amine groups in the sizing agent are available as uncrosslinked epoxide or amine groups, which corresponds to a curing degree of epoxide or amine groups of no more than about 0.6. Composites comprised of these functionalized carbon fibers embedded in a polymeric matrix are also described. Methods for producing the functionalized carbon fibers and composites thereof are also described.

A method of making a solid composite containing carbon fibers embedded in a polymeric matrix, the method comprising admixing carbon fibers with a polymer precursor resin, and curing the polymer precursor resin to form a cured polymeric matrix that contains said carbon fibers embedded therein, wherein said carbon fibers have covalently bonded on their surfaces a partially cured epoxy-containing or amine-containing sizing agent, wherein at least a portion of epoxide groups or amine groups in the sizing agent are available as uncrosslinked epoxide groups or amine groups, which corresponds to a curing degree of epoxide groups or amine groups of no more than about 0.6.

A method of making a carbon fiber having on its surface a partially cured sizing agent, the method comprising covalently binding on the surface of said carbon fiber a sizing agent comprised of an epoxy resin, and partially curing said sizing agent by contact thereof with a curing agent such that at least a portion of epoxide groups remain uncrosslinked on said surface, which corresponds to a curing degree of epoxide groups of no more than about 0.6, and further comprising reacting at least a portion of said epoxide groups with a bifunctional molecule that contains first and second reactive groups, the first reactive group being reactive with and forming a covalent bond with the epoxy group, and the second reactive group being unsaturated and accessible for reaction with a carbon-carbon double bond of an unsaturated resin via a vinyl addition reaction.

An extruder (1) and a method for producing high-fiber volume reinforced thermoplastic resin structures (50), as well as a tape (156) having opposing resin rich portions (302) and a fiber rich portion (304) disposed therebetween and a method for impregnating at least one fiber roving (142) with a polymer resin to form a tape (156. The extruder (1) includes an impregnation die (3) having a channel (4) that applies pressurized molten thermoplastic resin to a plurality of rovings (142) drawn through the channel (4), and a die (3) faceplate (5) facing the downstream side (34) of said die (3). The faceplate (5) has a plurality of sizing holes (42) or a slot (75) arranged along a line that the resin-impregnated rovings (142) are simultaneously drawn through that remove excess resin and pultrude the resin-impregnated rovings (142) into rod-shaped or sheet-shaped structures. The faceplate (5) is spaced apart from the downstream side (34) of the die (4) to provide a gap (6) between the die (4) and a back side of the faceplate (5).

Methods of making fiber reinforced composite articles are described. The methods may include treating fibers with a sizing composition that includes a polymerization compound, and introducing the treated fibers to a pre-polymerized composition. The combination of the treated fibers and pre-polymerized composition may then undergo a temperature adjustment to a polymerization temperature at which the pre-polymerized composition polymerizes into a plastic around the fibers to form the fiber-reinforced composite article. Techniques for introducing the treated fibers to the pre-polymerized composition may include pultrusion, filament winding, reactive injection molding (RIM), structural reactive injection molding (SRIM), resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM), long fiber injection (LFI), sheet molding compound (SMC) molding, bulk molding compound (BMC) molding, a spray-up application, and/or a hand lay-up application, among other techniques.

Methods of making fiber reinforced composite articles are described. The methods may include treating fibers with a sizing composition that includes a polymerization compound, and introducing the treated fibers to a pre-polymerized composition. The combination of the treated fibers and pre-polymerized composition may then undergo a temperature adjustment to a polymerization temperature at which the pre-polymerized composition polymerizes into a plastic around the fibers to form the fiber-reinforced composite article. Techniques for introducing the treated fibers to the pre-polymerized composition may include pultrusion, filament winding, reactive injection molding (RIM), structural reactive injection molding (SRIM), resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM), long fiber injection (LFI), sheet molding compound (SMC) molding, bulk molding compound (BMC) molding, a spray-up application, and/or a hand lay-up application, among other techniques.