A small piece supplying apparatus includes: a raw material supplying section that supplies a raw material sheet; a coarse crushing section that coarsely crushes the raw material sheet supplied from the raw material supplying section to produce small pieces; and a reservoir section in which the small pieces produced by the coarse crushing section are accumulated. The raw material supplying section includes a feeder roller that feeds out the raw material sheet, and a contact section that changes a course of the raw material sheet by contact with an edge of the raw material sheet fed out by the feeder roller.

A small piece supplying apparatus includes: a raw material supplying section that supplies a raw material sheet; a coarse crushing section that coarsely crushes the raw material sheet supplied from the raw material supplying section to produce small pieces; and a reservoir section in which the small pieces produced by the coarse crushing section are accumulated. The raw material supplying section includes a feeder roller that feeds out the raw material sheet, and a contact section that changes a course of the raw material sheet by contact with an edge of the raw material sheet fed out by the feeder roller.

A process and system are provided for introducing a blend of chopped and dispersed fibers on an automated production line amenable for inclusion in molding compositions as a blended fiber mat for structural applications. The blend of fibers are simultaneously supplied to an automated cutting machine illustratively including a rotary blade chopper disposed above a vortex supporting chamber. The blend of chopped fibers and binder form a chopped mat. The chopped mat has a veil mat placed on either side, and is consolidated with the veil mat using heated rollers maintained at the softening temperature of thermoplastic binder, with consolidated mats being amenable to being stored in rolls or as flat sheets. A charge pattern is made using the consolidated mat, and the charge pattern can be compression molded in a mold maintained at a temperature lower than the melting point of the thermoplastic fibers.

A process and system are provided for introducing a blend of chopped and dispersed fibers on an automated production line amenable for inclusion in molding compositions as a blended fiber mat for structural applications. The blend of fibers are simultaneously supplied to an automated cutting machine illustratively including a rotary blade chopper disposed above a vortex supporting chamber. The blend of chopped fibers and binder form a chopped mat. The chopped mat has a veil mat placed on either side, and is consolidated with the veil mat using heated rollers maintained at the softening temperature of thermoplastic binder, with consolidated mats being amenable to being stored in rolls or as flat sheets. A charge pattern is made using the consolidated mat, and the charge pattern can be compression molded in a mold maintained at a temperature lower than the melting point of the thermoplastic fibers.

Disclosed are: a reinforcing fiber bundle with excellent mechanical property and handling property, which contains a propylene-based resin (A), a propylene-based resin (B) comprising at least a carboxylic acid salt bonded to the polymer chain, and a reinforcing fiber (C) wherein the propylene-based resin (A) comprises more than 70% by mass but not more than 100% by mass of a component (A-1) having a weight average molecular weight of 150,000 or more, the amount of the propylene-based resin (B) is 3 to 50 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the propylene-based resin (A), and the total content rate of the propylene-based resin (A) and the propylene-based resin (B) is 0.3 to 5% by mass in the whole reinforcing fiber bundle; and a molding material comprising the reinforcing fiber bundle and a matrix resin.

Disclosed are: a reinforcing fiber bundle with excellent mechanical property and handling property, which contains a propylene-based resin (A), a propylene-based resin (B) comprising at least a carboxylic acid salt bonded to the polymer chain, and a reinforcing fiber (C) wherein the propylene-based resin (A) comprises more than 70% by mass but not more than 100% by mass of a component (A-1) having a weight average molecular weight of 150,000 or more, the amount of the propylene-based resin (B) is 3 to 50 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the propylene-based resin (A), and the total content rate of the propylene-based resin (A) and the propylene-based resin (B) is 0.3 to 5% by mass in the whole reinforcing fiber bundle; and a molding material comprising the reinforcing fiber bundle and a matrix resin.

Provided is a prepreg capable of attaining thermal expansion coefficient reduction and elastic modulus increase without increasing the filling ratio of an inorganic filler therein and/or without using a resin having a low thermal expansion coefficient, and thereby capable of reducing warpage thereof. Specifically, provided is a prepreg containing glass fibers and a thermosetting resin composition, and containing a layer of plural glass fiber filaments aligned to run nearly parallel to each other in one direction. Also provided are a production method for the prepreg, a laminate containing the prepreg and its production method, a printed circuit board containing the laminate, and a semiconductor package having a semiconductor device mounted on the printed circuit board.

Provided is a prepreg capable of attaining thermal expansion coefficient reduction and elastic modulus increase without increasing the filling ratio of an inorganic filler therein and/or without using a resin having a low thermal expansion coefficient, and thereby capable of reducing warpage thereof. Specifically, provided is a prepreg containing glass fibers and a thermosetting resin composition, and containing a layer of plural glass fiber filaments aligned to run nearly parallel to each other in one direction. Also provided are a production method for the prepreg, a laminate containing the prepreg and its production method, a printed circuit board containing the laminate, and a semiconductor package having a semiconductor device mounted on the printed circuit board.

This invention provides a finely ground biomass material used to create biomass-containing plastics having a smooth surface, while also preventing creation of unwanted color including those created by the Maillard reaction which results from a combination of sugars, protein, heat and acid or base chemicals. The present invention also provides for methods to prevent agglomeration of small particles into larger particles which can produce irregular surfaces on biomass-based plastics, including thin film plastics, especially thin film plastics less than 4 mil and other thin film plastics that can become too large to use in thin-film plastic production. For the purpose of this invention, plastic resins can be any gas or liquid hydrocarbon or fermentation-based resins.

This invention provides a finely ground biomass material used to create biomass-containing plastics having a smooth surface, while also preventing creation of unwanted color including those created by the Maillard reaction which results from a combination of sugars, protein, heat and acid or base chemicals. The present invention also provides for methods to prevent agglomeration of small particles into larger particles which can produce irregular surfaces on biomass-based plastics, including thin film plastics, especially thin film plastics less than 4 mil and other thin film plastics that can become too large to use in thin-film plastic production. For the purpose of this invention, plastic resins can be any gas or liquid hydrocarbon or fermentation-based resins.