A fiber-reinforced composite material has an excellent design surface. The prepreg laminate includes at least prepregs [a] having reinforcing fibers impregnated with a resin, and a base material [b] not impregnated with a resin, wherein at least two of the prepregs [a] are stacked in succession, and both sides of the base material [b] are sandwiched by the prepregs [a].

Curable prepregs possessing enhanced ability for the removal of gases from within prepregs and between prepreg plies in a prepreg layup prior to and/or during consolidation and curing. Each curable prepreg is a resin-impregnated, woven fabric that has been subjected to a treatment to create an array of openings in at least one major surface. Furthermore, the location of the openings is specific to the weave pattern of the fabric.

An apparatus includes a first composite support structure and a second composite support structure. The first and second composite support structures are in a predetermined position relative to one another. The apparatus further includes an uncured pre-preg ply, wherein: the uncured pre-preg ply overlies at least a portion of the first composite support structure; the uncured pre-preg ply overlies at least a portion of the second composite support structure; and the first and second composite support structures are each stiffer than the uncured pre-preg ply.

A retroreflective article including a binder layer and a plurality of retroreflective elements. Each retroreflective element includes a transparent microsphere partially embedded in the binder layer. At least some of the retroreflective elements include a reflective layer that is a locally-laminated reflective layer that is embedded between the transparent microsphere and the binder layer. At least some of the locally-laminated reflective layers may be localized reflective layers.

The present invention provides a laminate material having a polyester film and a web of polyester fibers cohesively bonded directly thereto, such that portions of the fibers are bonded to the polyester film and portions of the fibers are free from the polyester film. The invention may also include a glass reinforced polymer layer formed on the laminated facer where the polymer of the glass reinforced polymer layer is commingled with the nonwoven of the laminated facer. The laminate may further include a second polymer layer having a thickness joined to the fiber layer and/or a layer of hot melt adhesive applied to the polyester fibers. Also presented is a composite material having a polyester film, a layer of polyester fibers bonded to the second polymer layer; a second polymer layer joined to the polyester film; and a glass reinforced polymer layer formed on the laminated facer, where the polymer of the class reinforced polymer layer is commingled with the nonwoven of the laminated facer.

A method of producing a veneered element, including providing a substrate, applying a sub-layer on a surface of the substrate, applying a veneer layer on the sub-layer, and applying pressure to the veneer layer and/or the substrate, such that at least a portion of the sub-layer permeates through the veneer layer. Also, such a veneered element.

In a water sports board structure (3), a composite material shell (20) encloses a core (10) including a shaped body (11) made of a foam material obtained by a mixture of polylactic acid, preferably between 60% and 80% by weight, and of a polymer selected between an aliphatic polyester and an aliphatic/aromatic co-polyester. For the foam material, a biodegradable Ecovio EA material is preferably used, in particular Ecovio? EA200 or ECOVIO? 80EA2394EXP. In an exemplary embodiment, the shaped body (11) incorporates at least one, or preferably two cork longitudinal stringers (13) spaced apart from each other by about half the cross width of the core (10). The shell (20) can comprise a fibre layer (21,24), preferably of basalt fibres, impregnating with a resin, which can optionally form a resin layer (23,26) outside the fibre layers (21,24). A further resin-impregnated fabric layer (22) can be present between the core (10) and the fibre layer (21) of the shell (20). The above foam materials allow manufacturing boards that are at least 20% lighter than the conventional boards including polystyrene foam cores, and that have suitable elasticity while having excellent impact strength and/or resistance to abrasion, such a combination leading to high-performance water sports boards. Moreover, polylactic acid as well as the above aliphatic polyesters or aliphatic/aromatic co-polyesters are fully biodegradable, which allows environment-friendly disposal of the water sport boards of the invention, for instance, by composting, without forming any special waste.

A composite material with an insert-molded attachment steel is provided. The composite material includes a plurality of burring apertures, each of which has a flange in one direction on the attachment steel and is inserted between fibers. A resin is then introduced between the fibers in each burring aperture and external to the flange.

A fiber-reinforced composite material has an excellent design surface. The prepreg laminate includes at least prepregs [a] having reinforcing fibers impregnated with a resin, and a base material [b] not impregnated with a resin, wherein at least two of the prepregs [a] are stacked in succession, and both sides of the base material [b] are sandwiched by the prepregs [a].

A composite element for the realization of protection devices of parts of the human body includes a matrix, a reinforcing element, at least partially embedded in the matrix, wherein the reinforcing element has at least one opening shaped so as to define an undercut between the matrix and the reinforcing element, such undercut being suitable for determining a mechanical constraint between the matrix and the reinforcement element.