The present disclosure relates generally to polyurethane matrix composite materials, for example, suitable for making an exterior cladding product for houses and other buildings. The present disclosure relates more particularly to a polymer matrix composite material including a polyurethane matrix and an inorganic filler in a range from 45% to 85% by weight of the composite material. The inorganic filler includes a first substance from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, sand, talc, kaolin clay, dolomite, feldspar and mica and any mixture thereof, and fly ash, and/or an iron oxide in a range from 0.5% to 7% by weight of the inorganic filler.

A method of forming a fiber-reinforced molding compound. The method includes establishing a melt stream of a source material including a first polymeric material having a first melt temperature in an extruder and dosing a composite material into the melt stream. The composite material includes pre-impregnated reinforcing fibers comprising reinforcing filaments and a second polymeric material having a second melt temperature greater than the first melt temperature. The composite material has at least 30% of the reinforcing filaments protected by the polymeric material such that the polymeric material surrounds each filament completely forming a barrier between it and an adjacent filament in the at least 30% of the filaments. The temperature of the melt stream at dosing is below the second melt temperature. The method includes forming a molding compound from the source and composite materials. The method includes dispensing the molding compound to produce a part.

An apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced injection molded component includes an injection mold half with a mold cavity and a receiving chamber open to the mold cavity. A band section of a fiber-reinforced plastics band is fed into the receiving chamber through a feed channel and a first clamping device arranged in an initial region of the receiving chamber and a second clamping device arranged in an end region of the receiving chamber clamp the fiber-reinforced plastics band section within the receiving chamber. A first cut-through device arranged in the initial region of the receiving chamber and a second cut-through device arranged in the end region of the receiving chamber cut the band section such that an injection molded component formed in the cavity of the mold includes the cut fiber-reinforced plastics band section and a fiber-reinforced injection molded component is provided.

Composite fibers created by a process including vertically texturizing and impregnating resin into the fibers at controlled viscosity results in stronger fibers in which virtually no microbubbles are trapped resulting in improved tensile strength for use in reinforcing concrete and other materials.

Composite fibers created by a process including vertically texturizing and impregnating resin into the fibers at controlled viscosity results in stronger fibers in which virtually no microbubbles are trapped resulting in improved tensile strength for use in reinforcing concrete and other materials.

One example method for producing a component from organic sheets may comprise placing a first organic sheet and a second organic sheet next to one another to form a component preform, forming at least one overlapping joining zone by tacking the first and second organic sheets together with a connecting part in the form of a third organic sheet, transferring the component preform to a joining tool, using the joining tool to form a joined component by connecting the organic sheets through melting and compression in the overlapping joining zone, and consolidating the joined component at least in the zone of the overlapping joining zone.

Various embodiments related to three dimensional printers, and reinforced filaments, and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a void free reinforced filament is fed into an conduit nozzle. The reinforced filament includes a core, which may be continuous or semi-continuous, and a matrix material surrounding the core. The reinforced filament is heated to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core prior to drag the filament from the conduit nozzle.

Methods are described for activating a glass fiber or flake to participate in polymerizing a resin. The methods may include sizing the glass fiber or flake with a sizing composition that includes a solution containing a polymerization initiator, and activating the polymerization initiator by forming a free radical moiety on the polymerization initiator that can initiate the polymerization of the resin. Additional methods of making a glass reinforced composite are described. The methods may include sizing glass fibers or flakes with a sizing composition that includes a solution containing a polymerization initiator, forming a free radical moiety on the polymerization initiator to make activated glass fibers or flakes, and contacting the activated glass fibers or flakes with a polymer resin. The activated glass fibers or flakes initiate the polymerization of the resin around the glass fibers or flakes to form the glass reinforced composite.

A method of and apparatus for extruding an article of uniform cross-section, the article including a thermoplastic material and at least one cable for inhibiting stretch of the article. The cable is supplied to a respective tube and is conveyed between upstream and downstream ends. The thermoplastic material may be supplied to the downstream end of the tube. The thermoplastic material is brought together with the cable to embed the cable within the thermoplastic material, thereby forming a composite extrudate. The tube is configured to at least hinder movement of loose windings of the cable from the downstream end towards the upstream end, which may prevent or at least reduce incidence of birdcaging.

A system for additively manufacturing a composite part comprises a delivery guide, movable relative to a surface. The delivery guide is configured to deposit at least a segment of a continuous flexible line along a print path. The continuous flexible line comprises a non-resin component and a thermosetting-resin component. The thermosetting-resin component comprises a first part and a second part. The non-resin component comprises a first element and a second element. The system further comprises a first resin-part applicator, configured to apply the first part to the first element, and a second resin-part applicator, configured to apply the second part to the second element. The system also comprises a feed mechanism, configured to pull the first element through the first resin-part applicator, to pull the second element through the second resin-part applicator, and to push the continuous flexible line out of the delivery guide.