The present invention relates to an impregnation process for a fibrous substrate, a liquid composition for implementing this process and the obtained impregnated fibrous substrate. The impregnated fibrous substrate is suitable for manufacturing mechanical or structured parts or articles. In particular the present invention deals with an industrial process for impregnating a fibrous substrate or long fibers with a viscous liquid composition containing mainly methacrylic or acrylic components. This viscous composition is called hereafter liquid (meth) acrylic syrup. The invention concerns also a fibrous substrate pre-impregnated with said syrup which is useful for manufacturing mechanical or structured parts or articles. More particular the impregnation of fibrous substrate with the (meth) acrylic syrup is achieved in a closed mould. The present invention concerns also manufacturing process for manufacturing mechanical or structured parts or articles and three-dimensional mechanical or structured parts obtained by this process.

A ready to use surface veil and surface film integrated prepreg layer which is suitable to use in the production of lightweight structural parts/panels with class A surfaces includes a curable bottom base resin formulation including a curable bottom base resin, at least one first toughening agent, at least one accelerator, at least one curing agent and at least one hardener. The prepreg layer further includes a release paper that is coated with the curable bottom base resin formulation to obtained curable bottom base resin formulation coated release paper as a first resin film; a reinforcement fabric; an outer resin formulation including the outer resin which is the curable bottom base resin being 10% more viscous than the resin, at least one thermoplastic toughening agent, at least one accelerator, at least one curing agent and at least one hardener agent.

A ready to use surface veil and surface film integrated prepreg layer which is suitable to use in the production of lightweight structural parts/panels with class A surfaces includes a curable bottom base resin formulation including a curable bottom base resin, at least one first toughening agent, at least one accelerator, at least one curing agent and at least one hardener. The prepreg layer further includes a release paper that is coated with the curable bottom base resin formulation to obtained curable bottom base resin formulation coated release paper as a first resin film; a reinforcement fabric; an outer resin formulation including the outer resin which is the curable bottom base resin being 10% more viscous than the resin, at least one thermoplastic toughening agent, at least one accelerator, at least one curing agent and at least one hardener agent.

A fiber-reinforced resin molding material molded product includes a fiber-reinforced resin molding material prepared by impregnating chopped fiber bundles obtained by cutting a reinforcing fiber bundle with a matrix resin, wherein in a region excluding 30 mm from an edge of the molded product, when an arbitrary rectangular region having an area of 40 mm.sup.2 or more and defined by a thickness of the molded product and a width in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the molded product is set in a cross section in an arbitrary thickness direction of the molded product, with respect to a bundle thickness of the chopped fiber bundles present in the set rectangular region.

A composite material which includes a thermoplastic matrix resin and carbon fibers A including carbon fiber bundles A1 in which Li/(Ni×Di.sup.2) satisfies 6.7×10.sup.1 to 3.3×10.sup.3, wherein the carbon fibers A have a fiber length of 5-100 mm and have a value of Lw.sub.A1/(N.sub.A1ave×D.sub.A1.sup.2) of 1.0×10.sup.2 to 3.3×10.sup.3, the carbon fiber bundles A1 having an average bundle width W.sub.A1 less than 3.5 mm and being contained in an amount of 90 vol % or larger with respect to the carbon fibers A A production method for producing a molded object from the composite material is also provided.

A composite material which includes a thermoplastic matrix resin and carbon fibers A including carbon fiber bundles A1 in which Li/(Ni×Di.sup.2) satisfies 6.7×10.sup.1 to 3.3×10.sup.3, wherein the carbon fibers A have a fiber length of 5-100 mm and have a value of Lw.sub.A1/(N.sub.A1ave×D.sub.A1.sup.2) of 1.0×10.sup.2 to 3.3×10.sup.3, the carbon fiber bundles A1 having an average bundle width W.sub.A1 less than 3.5 mm and being contained in an amount of 90 vol % or larger with respect to the carbon fibers A A production method for producing a molded object from the composite material is also provided.

An apparatus and method for the automated manufacturing of three-dimensional (3D) composite-based objects is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a material feeder, a printer, a powder system, a transfer system, and optionally a fuser. The method comprises inserting a stack of substrate sheets into a material feeder, transferring a sheet of the stack from the material feeder to a printer, depositing fluid on the single sheet while the sheet rests on a printer platen, transferring the sheet from the printer to a powder system, depositing powder onto the single sheet such that the powder adheres to the areas of the sheet onto which the printer has deposited fluid, removing any powder that did not adhere to the sheet, optionally melting the powder on the substrate, and repeating the steps for as many additional sheets as required for making a specified 3D object.

A process of preparing carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) intermediate products is described wherein the carbon fibers are prepared from a carbon fiber precursor and then in-line impregnated with a polymeric resin as part of a continuous process. The process can provide cost savings compared to processes wherein carbon fibers are prepared and then impregnated with polymeric resins in a separate process, thereby making the use of CFRP materials more economically feasible. Also described is a system for preparing carbon fiber from a carbon fiber precursor and impregnating the carbon fiber with polymeric resin to provide CFRP intermediate products, such as continuous tapes or rods or discontinuous flakes or pellets.

A sheet molding compound includes an epoxy resin composition meeting (I) and/or (II): (I) a component has a hydroxy group equivalent weight of 20 to 120, and (II) carbon fibers are bundle-shaped aggregates of discontinuous carbon fibers such that in a plane that has a largest width perpendicular to an alignment direction of the carbon fibers, two acute angles, referred to as angle a and angle b, formed between the alignment direction of the carbon fibers and sides formed by arrays of both ends of the carbon fibers in the bundle-shaped aggregates are 2° or more and 30° or less, the epoxy resin composition has a viscosity at 30° C. of 3.0×104 Pa.Math.s or more and 1.0×106 Pa.Math.s or less, and the epoxy resin composition has a viscosity at 120° C. of 1.0×102 Pa.Math.s or more and 5.0×103 Pa.Math.s or less.

A sheet molding compound includes an epoxy resin composition meeting (I) and/or (II): (I) a component has a hydroxy group equivalent weight of 20 to 120, and (II) carbon fibers are bundle-shaped aggregates of discontinuous carbon fibers such that in a plane that has a largest width perpendicular to an alignment direction of the carbon fibers, two acute angles, referred to as angle a and angle b, formed between the alignment direction of the carbon fibers and sides formed by arrays of both ends of the carbon fibers in the bundle-shaped aggregates are 2° or more and 30° or less, the epoxy resin composition has a viscosity at 30° C. of 3.0×104 Pa.Math.s or more and 1.0×106 Pa.Math.s or less, and the epoxy resin composition has a viscosity at 120° C. of 1.0×102 Pa.Math.s or more and 5.0×103 Pa.Math.s or less.