Provided are a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin molding material by which, when the fiber-reinforced resin molding material is manufactured, separated fiber bundles can be supplied to a cutting machine in stable condition while avoiding the influence of meandering of the fiber bundles or slanting or meandering of filaments occurring in the fiber bundles. A method for manufacturing a sheet-shaped fiber-reinforced resin molding material in which spaces between filaments of cut-out fiber bundles (CF) are impregnated with resin includes, so that a condition of the following expression (1) is satisfied, intermittently separating fibers of the continuous fiber bundles (CF) in a longitudinal direction by a rotational blade (18) serving as a fiber separating part and cutting out the fiber bundles with an interval therebetween in a longitudinal direction of a cutting machine (13A) to obtain the cut-out fiber bundles (CF). Expression (1): 1≤a/L (where a represents a length of a separated part of the continuous fiber bundles (CF) and L represents an interval when the fiber bundles (CF) are cut out in the longitudinal direction.)

An object of the present invention is to reduce or eliminate a defect (e.g., a void) by achieving (i) a semipreg and a prepreg each of which allows a reduction in residual volatile component and (ii) methods for producing the semipreg and the prepreg, respectively, and consequently to achieve (iii) a fiber-reinforced composite material which has high heat resistance and superior mechanical strength and a (iv) a method for producing the fiber-reinforced composite material. The present invention attains the above object by providing, for example, a semipreg containing: powders of an imide oligomer; and reinforcement fibers, the imide oligomer being represented by a specific general formula (1).

An object of the present invention is to reduce or eliminate a defect (e.g., a void) by achieving (i) a semipreg and a prepreg each of which allows a reduction in residual volatile component and (ii) methods for producing the semipreg and the prepreg, respectively, and consequently to achieve (iii) a fiber-reinforced composite material which has high heat resistance and superior mechanical strength and a (iv) a method for producing the fiber-reinforced composite material. The present invention attains the above object by providing, for example, a semipreg containing: powders of an imide oligomer; and reinforcement fibers, the imide oligomer being represented by a specific general formula (1).

A molding jig for molding a laminate, which includes reinforced fiber sheets laminated on each other, extends in the length direction, and has a cross-sectional shape having a curved portion in a cross section obtained by cutting the laminate on a plane orthogonal to the length direction, into a three-dimensional shape having a bent portion in the length direction. The molding jig includes a female die for forming the bent portion, a male die for engaging with the female die with the laminate therebetween for forming the bent portion, and a stretchable supporting member between the female die and the laminate. The laminate comes in contact with the male die on both length-direction sides of the molded bent portion, and the supporting member is over a region including the female-side molding surface.

A composite structure is disclosed forming part of a wall of a liquid hydrogen tank, and including at least one thermal protection device having one or more of hollow fibers, such as to create thermal protection, for example a thermal barrier or a heat exchanger, which makes it possible to protect the composite structure in case of a high temperature gradient between the two faces thereof, while benefiting from the advantages of a composite material in terms of mass.

Methods are provided for making a nanofiber-coated fiber. The method(s) include: providing a base fiber; depositing a nanofreckle on the base fiber; and growing a nanofiber at the nanofreckle. In another aspect, nanofiber-coated fibers are provided, produced by the above-noted methods making a nanofiber-coated fiber.

A molded automotive textile nonwoven and its associated method of manufacturing includes flat staple fibers exhibiting a width to thickness ratio of 2 to 10 and a denier in the range of 2 to 30. The molded automotive textile non-woven is a three-dimensional (3D) structure that includes one or a plurality of protrusions or recesses which fits to the metallic vehicle floor pan of the vehicle.

A molded article includes a fiber-reinforced composite material in which reinforcing fibers are impregnated with a matrix resin, wherein components A, B, and C: Component A: a fiber-reinforced base material in which continuous reinforcing fibers are impregnated with a PPS resin is applied as the matrix resin, and a volume content of fiber Vf′.sub.A in the component A is Vf′.sub.A=50 to 70 vol %; Component B: a fiber-reinforced base material in which the continuous reinforcing fibers are impregnated with the matrix resin, the PPS resin and a PPS resin having a melting point Tm.sub.B lower than a melting point Tm.sub.A of the PPS resin are applied as the matrix resins, and a volume content of fiber Vf′.sub.B in the component B is Vf′.sub.B<Vf′.sub.A; and Component C: a fiber-reinforced resin obtained by impregnating discontinuous reinforcing fibers with the PPS resin is applied as the matrix resin.

Bi— or multicomponent fibre (3) comprising a reinforcing core (1) of a first material and at least one sheath (2) of a second, thermoplastic or pre-polymerized thermoset material, for the manufacturing of composite parts, the matrix of which composite parts consists of the material of said sheath (2), wherein said first material has a degradation temperature, ignition temperature, glass transition temperature, melting temperature or liquidus temperature which is higher than the melting temperature, flowing temperature, r softening temperature of said second, thermoplastic or pre-polymerized thermoset material, wherein said reinforcing core (1) has a core volume fraction (v.sub.f) defined as the volume fraction of the reinforcing core (1) in the bi- or multicomponent fibre (3), which is in the range of 0.3-0.8, and wherein along a longitudinal axis (Z) of the bi- or multicomponent fibre outer surface (4) of the sheath (2) has a corrugated, preferably irregular corrugated shape.

A method for producing a shaped article includes a second web forming step, in which a mixture containing fibers and a binding material is deposited in the air, the binding material containing starch and an alkali metal salt; a moistening step, in which the mixture is supplied with water; and a sheet-forming step, in which heat and pressure are applied to the mixture supplied with water to give a sheet. The alkali metal salt content of the binding material is 2.0% by mass or less of the total mass of the starch.