Textile compositions comprising at least one filamentous fungus are disclosed, as are methods for making and using such textile compositions. Embodiments of the textile compositions generally include at least one of a plasticizer, a polymer, and a crosslinker, in addition to the filamentous fungus. The disclosed textile compositions are particularly useful as analogs or substitutes for conventional textile compositions, including but not limited to leather.

A method for molding a composite material includes arranging a prepreg on a jig molding surface of a jig for molding. The method includes sealing a first endless seal region that surrounds the prepreg is formed by bonding a resin bag and the jig molding surface by a first sealing material and a second endless seal region that surrounds the prepreg and is positioned outside the first seal region is formed by bonding a resin bag and the jig molding surface by a second sealing material. The method includes depressurizing a first space inside the first seal region and a second space between the first seal region and the second seal region are depressurized. The method includes thermally curing the prepreg by supplying a water vapor into the internal space of a pressure vessel, while holding the pressure vessel in a sealed state.

A cylindrical winding body is formed by winding continuous fibers impregnated with a first thermosetting resin in a circumferential direction, and the first thermosetting resin in the winding body is thermally cured. A pair of dome members is joined to both end portions of the cylinder member. A fiber bundle impregnated with a second thermosetting resin is helically wound around the joined member over the dome members, and the second thermosetting resin in the wound fiber bundle is thermally cured. A thermosetting resin containing a main agent and a granular solid curing agent is used as the first thermosetting resin, the main agent including a resin precursor and the solid curing agent chemically bonding molecules of the resin precursor together.

A prepreg includes; sizing agent-coated carbon fibers coated with a sizing agent; and a thermosetting resin composition impregnated into the sizing agent-coated carbon fibers. The sizing agent includes an aliphatic epoxy compound (A) and an aromatic compound (B) at least containing an aromatic epoxy compound (B1). The thermosetting resin composition includes a thermosetting resin (D) and a latent hardener (E), and optionally includes an additive (F) other than the thermosetting resin (D) and the latent hardener (E). The (a)/(b) ratio is within a predetermined range where (a) is the height of a component at a binding energy assigned to CHx, C—C, and C═C and (b) is the height of a component at a binding energy assigned to C—O in a C.sub.1s core spectrum of the surfaces of the sizing agent-coated carbon fibers analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

A void between two or more composite laminate parts is filled by a composite laminate filler that is laid up and integral with at least one of the parts.

A belt calender for manufacturing preimpregnated composites includes a first roller, which is rotatable around its longitudinal axis, a first belt running at least partly around the first roller; and a second belt running in between the first roller and the first belt. The first belt and the second belt guide a feed of material between them. The belt calender includes auxiliary rollers which are rotatable around their longitudinal axes, and are arranged substantially parallel to the first roller around at least a part of a circumference thereof. The first and second belt run in between two adjacent ones of the plurality of auxiliary rollers, thereby defining a meandering path for the feed of material. A method for manufacturing preimpregnated composites by using such a belt calender.

A device for manufacturing a composite component including a tool with a first and second sections forming first and second confinement surfaces, the sections movable relative to each other into and out of a fastening configuration. The device includes a closing mechanism with a closing section. In the fastening configuration, the first confinement surface and the second confinement surface face one another, and the sections and the closing mechanism are arranged such that a cavity is formed between the sections and the closing mechanism. The closing section is transferable from an open configuration into a closed configuration. In the closed configuration, the third confinement surface extends along a plane perpendicular to the first and second confinement surfaces, wherein, when the closing mechanism is heated from a first temperature to a second temperature, the closing section transfers from the open configuration into the closed configuration at a predefined temperature.

A method for manufacturing a part made from composite material includes the steps of: applying, to a tool, layers of prepreg composite material for constituting a preform; installing a cover on the preform and sealingly connecting this cover to the tool with sealant; applying a vacuum to the enclosure delimited by the cover and the tool containing the preform; and heating the assembly to a given temperature for a predetermined time period in order to polymerise the layers of prepreg composite material. Also, a step of applying at least one silicone patch to geometrically complex zones of the tool and/or the preform may be performed before installing the cover. The cover may include at least one polyimide and/or at least one compound from the phthalonitrile family.

Systems and methods are provided for compacting laminates. One embodiment is a method for compacting a laminate onto a surface of a forming tool. The method includes placing the laminate onto the forming tool, disposing a compaction device over the laminate, gripping the compaction device to the forming tool, compacting the laminate with a pressure foot of the compaction device, and removing the compaction device from the forming tool.

Provided are a molded body and a method for manufacturing a molded body, the molded body comprising: reinforced fibers having a weight average fiber length of 1 mm or more and 100 mm or less: and a thermoplastic resin, wherein the molded body is provided with a first main shape surface part, a second main shape surface part connected to the first main shape surface part in a crossing state, and a connection surface part connected to both the first main shape surface part and the second main shape surface part, the connection surface part protrudes from the first main shape surface part and the second main shape surface part on a valley side formed by the first main shape surface part and the second main shape surface part, and reinforced fibers are continuously dispersed in an in-plane direction at a boundary region between the first main shape surface part and the connection surface part and a boundary region between the second main shape surface part and the connection surface part.