Provided is a useful improvement in a manufacturing method of a CF-SMC using a partially split continuous carbon fiber bundle. The manufacturing method of an SMC of the present invention includes (i) a step of drawing out a continuous carbon fiber bundle (10) from a package, the continuous carbon fiber bundle (10) having a filament number of NK and partially split into n sub-bundles in advance, (ii) a step of chopping the continuous carbon fiber bundle (10) drawn out from the package with a rotary cutter (234) into chopped carbon fiber bundles (20), and (iii) a step of depositing the chopped carbon fiber bundles (20) on a carrier film (41) traveling below the rotary cutter (234) to form a carbon fiber mat (30). In the manufacturing method, due to a fragmentation processing, in which at least some of the chopped carbon fiber bundles before being deposited on the carrier film (41) are fragmented by being brought into contact with a rotating body, a distribution of the filament number of the chopped carbon fiber bundles in the carbon fiber mat (30) is made different from that when the fragmentation processing is not performed.

Methods of making prepregs are described. The methods include the steps of forming a fiber-containing substrate, and contacting the fiber-containing substrate with a resin mixture. The resin mixture may include polymer particles mixed in a liquid medium, and the polymer particles may be coated on the fiber-containing substrate to form a coated substrate. The liquid medium may be removed from the coated substrate to form the prepreg. The prepregs may be used to make fiber-reinforced articles.

The present invention is directed to plant fiber-reinforced biocomposite thermoplastic and/or resin compositions and a method for reinforcing thermoplastic resins. The present invention provides a use for the cellulose portion of a plant material, which is the portion left over after processing the selected plant materials to separate the cellulose in a mechanical process that does not damage the internal molecular structure of the cellulose fraction, enabling the cellulose fraction to chemically bond with the thermoplastic resin to enhance the reinforcement of the resin or thermoplastic biocomposite composition.

In order to well perform recoating regardless of the type of granular material and reuse a refractory aggregate in an unprinted portion without any regeneration process in the manufacture of a three-dimensional lamination-shaped mold, this invention provides a granular material for use in shaping a three-dimensional laminated mold, which is coated with an acid as a catalyst which activates and cures an organic binder for binding the granular material. The acid contains at least one of sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, a sulfonic acid and a carboxylic acid, and is one of a mixture of sulfuric acid and another acid, phosphoric acid only, a mixture of phosphoric acid and another acid, sulfonic acid only, a mixture of sulfonic acid and another acid and a mixture of a carboxylic acid and another acid.

A process for the production of storage-stable epoxy prepregs is provided. In addition, composites produced from the prepregs based on epoxides and acids having groups reactive to free-radical polymerization is provided.

The present invention provides: a fiber-reinforced resin sheet that exhibits a higher tensile strength; and a method for manufacturing said fiber-reinforced resin sheet. The fiber-reinforced resin sheet comprises: multiple reinforcing fibers that are arranged so as to be oriented in one direction; and a thermoplastic resin with which the reinforcing fibers are impregnated. A coefficient of variation of the standard deviation of orientation angles of the multiple reinforcing fibers is 17.0% or less.

A method of providing a functionalized veil or tape for manufacture of fibre-reinforced composite parts, the method comprising: depositing functional particles (12) in and/or on a veil or tape (11), by flowing F a fluid (13), through the veil or tape (11), to provide the functionalized veil or tape, wherein the veil or tape comprises reinforcement fibres and the fluid includes functional particles.

In a method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin molded body (10) by heat-compressing fiber substrates (11A to 11D) together with a thermosetting resin (15) so that the thermosetting resin (15) is impregnated into the fiber substrates (11A to 11D) and cured, a thermosetting resin powder (15A) is disposed in contact with at least one surface of the fiber substrates (11A to 11D), the fiber substrates (11A to 11D) are heat-compressed together with the thermosetting resin powder (15A) by a mold (30) so that the thermosetting resin powder (15A) is melted, impregnated into the fiber substrates (11A to 11D), and cured. Also disclosed is a fiber-reinforced resin molded body as well as a vehicle or airframe including a fiber-reinforced resin molded body.

A resin-equipped fibrous base having a fibrous base, and dot-shaped resin parts provided on at least one surface of the fibrous base, in which the resin part contains a thermoplastic resin, a ratio A2/A1 of a mass A2 per unit area of the resin parts with respect to a mass A1 per unit area of the fibrous base is 0.005 to 0.105, and a ratio B2/B1 of an average diameter B2 of the resin parts with respect to an average constituent-unit width B1 of the fibrous base is 0.06 to 0.96.

A dry prepreg of fibrous textile/thermoplastic with handling characteristics highly compatible with robotic handling and a method for making at least one dry prepreg and forming the at least one dry prepreg over a mold form. The method also includes using the at least one molded dry prepreg as at least one sub-laminate in a thermoforming process. The methods include CMC preforming processes which can be automated though the use of robotic handling devices.