Control and stabilizing cables and tendons for high altitude aircraft and airships having lightweight, high strength and low CTE are disclosed, along with a method and machine for fabrication of same. The cable is comprised of a fiber prepreg tow encased in a polymer sleeve with one bobbin at each end to facilitate connections. Consolidating the fiber prepreg tow along the length of the cable using high temperature shrink tubing, such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), allows for eliminating the twisting of the fiber prepreg tow, thus reducing the number of wraps around the bobbins. Eliminating the twists in the fiber prepreg tow also reduces the length of fiber needed, and therefore the overall change in length of the control cable with temperature variations is reduced. Additional cable strength can be achieved by adding and holding significant tension on the fiber prepreg tow by applying weight during the curing process.

Control and stabilizing cables and tendons for high altitude aircraft and airships having lightweight, high strength and low CTE are disclosed, along with a method and machine for fabrication of same. The cable is comprised of a fiber prepreg tow encased in a polymer sleeve with one bobbin at each end to facilitate connections. Consolidating the fiber prepreg tow along the length of the cable using high temperature shrink tubing, such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), allows for eliminating the twisting of the fiber prepreg tow, thus reducing the number of wraps around the bobbins. Eliminating the twists in the fiber prepreg tow also reduces the length of fiber needed, and therefore the overall change in length of the control cable with temperature variations is reduced. Additional cable strength can be achieved by adding and holding significant tension on the fiber prepreg tow by applying weight during the curing process.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a carbon fiber bundle for resin reinforcement purposes, which is produced using a sizing agent that can exert satisfactory interface adhesiveness to both of a carbon fiber bundle and a thermoplastic resin in the production of a carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin, and which has satisfactory emulsion stability. One embodiment of the present invention is a carbon fiber bundle for resin reinforcement purposes, which comprises a carbon fiber bundle and a polymer adhered onto the carbon fiber bundle, wherein the polymer is produced by binding an acid-modified polyolefin having a polyolefin structure and an acidic group in the molecular structure thereof to a hydrophilic polymer having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 450 or more, and wherein the ratio of the mass of the polyolefin structure to the mass of the acidic group in the acid-modified polyolefin is 100:0.1 to 100:10, the ratio of the mass of the acid-modified polyolefin to the mass of the hydrophilic polymer is 100:1 to 100:100, and the content of the polymer in the carbon fiber bundle for resin reinforcement purposes is 0.1 to 8.0 mass % inclusive.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a carbon fiber bundle for resin reinforcement purposes, which is produced using a sizing agent that can exert satisfactory interface adhesiveness to both of a carbon fiber bundle and a thermoplastic resin in the production of a carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin, and which has satisfactory emulsion stability. One embodiment of the present invention is a carbon fiber bundle for resin reinforcement purposes, which comprises a carbon fiber bundle and a polymer adhered onto the carbon fiber bundle, wherein the polymer is produced by binding an acid-modified polyolefin having a polyolefin structure and an acidic group in the molecular structure thereof to a hydrophilic polymer having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 450 or more, and wherein the ratio of the mass of the polyolefin structure to the mass of the acidic group in the acid-modified polyolefin is 100:0.1 to 100:10, the ratio of the mass of the acid-modified polyolefin to the mass of the hydrophilic polymer is 100:1 to 100:100, and the content of the polymer in the carbon fiber bundle for resin reinforcement purposes is 0.1 to 8.0 mass % inclusive.

A method for manufacturing impregnated fiber bundle includes: a step of feeding material including feeding at least one fiber bundle to a feeding wheel assembly; a step of resin molding including feeding resin to the fiber bundle in a high pressure manner to make the resin infiltrate the fiber bundle and to form an outer resin layer on the outer surface of the fiber bundle, so as to make the fiber bundle become a resin impregnated fiber bundle; a step of semi-cured molding including semi curing the resin inside and outside the resin impregnated fiber bundle by controlling temperature and pressure; and a step of reeling including reeling up the resin impregnated fiber bundle which is to be woven into a fabric.

According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg includes a mechanism for moving a fabric or mat and a drying mechanism that removes residual moisture from at least one surface of the fabric or mat. The system also includes a resin application mechanism that applies a reactive resin to the fabric or mat and a press mechanism that presses the coated fabric or mat to ensure that the resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the coated fabric or mat is moved to polymerize the resin and thereby form a thermoplastic polymer so that upon exiting the oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer. During at least a portion of the process, humidity in the vicinity of the coated fabric or mat is maintained at substantially zero.

According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg includes a mechanism for moving a fabric or mat and a drying mechanism that removes residual moisture from at least one surface of the fabric or mat. The system also includes a resin application mechanism that applies a reactive resin to the fabric or mat and a press mechanism that presses the coated fabric or mat to ensure that the resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the coated fabric or mat is moved to polymerize the resin and thereby form a thermoplastic polymer so that upon exiting the oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer. During at least a portion of the process, humidity in the vicinity of the coated fabric or mat is maintained at substantially zero.

A resin-integrated carbon fiber sheet 1, including: a carbon fiber sheet 2 in which a carbon fiber filament group is spread and arrayed in parallel in one direction; resin 4 that is present on part of a surface of the carbon fiber sheet; and bridging fibers 3. One or more of the bridging fibers 3 is present on average on a surface of the carbon fiber sheet 2 in a direction across the carbon fiber sheet per 10 mm.sup.2 of the sheet 2, and the resin 4 on the surface adhesively fixes the bridging fibers 3 to the carbon fiber sheet 2. Thus, the present invention provides a resin-integrated carbon fiber sheet that is strong in the width direction of the carbon fiber sheet, high in cleavage resistance and excellent in handleability, and a production method of the same.

A resin-integrated carbon fiber sheet 1, including: a carbon fiber sheet 2 in which a carbon fiber filament group is spread and arrayed in parallel in one direction; resin 4 that is present on part of a surface of the carbon fiber sheet; and bridging fibers 3. One or more of the bridging fibers 3 is present on average on a surface of the carbon fiber sheet 2 in a direction across the carbon fiber sheet per 10 mm.sup.2 of the sheet 2, and the resin 4 on the surface adhesively fixes the bridging fibers 3 to the carbon fiber sheet 2. Thus, the present invention provides a resin-integrated carbon fiber sheet that is strong in the width direction of the carbon fiber sheet, high in cleavage resistance and excellent in handleability, and a production method of the same.

Manufacture of a pre-impregnated fibrous material which contains continuous fibers and a thermoplastic matrix, the material being made as a plurality of unidirectional parallel ribbons or sheets, and the method involving a step of pre-impregnating, in dry conditions, N parallel strands divided into X groups of Ni strands, by the thermoplastic matrix in powder form in a tank, ΣNi=N et X 3, one thereof from each series being immersed in the powder, each group of strands running on the same number Y of tensioning parts, and the parallel strands being separated by a spacing at least equal to the width of each strand.