According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) prepreg includes a mechanism for continuously moving a fabric or mat and a resin application component that applies a methyl methacrylate (MMA) resin to the fabric or mat. The system also includes a press mechanism that presses the fabric or mat during the continuous movement subsequent to the application of the MMA resin to ensure that the MMA resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the fabric or mat is continuously moved. The curing oven is maintained at a temperature of between 40° C. and 100° C. to polymerize the MMA resin and thereby form PMMA so that upon exiting the curing oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with PMMA.

A building product for application to the exterior of a building. The front face of the product utilizes a first fiber sheet partially embedded within a thermoset polymer coating resin. A foamed closed cell admixture composition core with an inorganic filler overlays the thermoset polymer coating resin with the embedded fiber sheet. The admixture composition infiltrates and bonds to the portion of the fiber sheet that is not embedded within the thermoset polymer coating resin mechanically bonding to the thermoset polymer coating. A second fiber sheet overlays the admixture core and the admixture and second fiber sheet form the rear surface of the building product that is mounted adjacent the building surface.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a molded article obtained by double belt press molding a thermosetting prepreg, in which the thermosetting prepreg is coated with a release film during molding, and a width of the prepreg is 1 to 25 mm smaller than that of the release film. This manufacturing method suppresses burr generation and fiber twisting, and is excellent in width restriction, and thus can be suitably used for, for example, automobile members, railroad vehicle members, aerospace machine members, ship members, household equipment members, sporting goods members, light vehicle members, building and civil engineering members, and housings for OA equipment and the like.

An apparatus for applying a liquid matrix to a fiber tow includes a belt press arranged to receive the fiber tow and compress it between two moving belts and a matrix application roller arranged to receive liquid matrix and transfer it to the fiber. The apparatus also includes a second matrix application component arranged adjacent to the matrix application roller so as to form a first gap between the component and the matrix application roller. The matrix application roller is positioned adjacent to the belt press so as to form a second gap between the matrix application roller and a belt of the belt press; and wherein the second gap is larger than the first gap.

A thermoplastic prepreg includes a mat, web, or fabric of fibers and hollow glass microspheres that are positioned atop the mat, web, or fabric of fibers or dispersed therein. The thermoplastic prepreg also includes a thermoplastic polymer that is fully impregnated through the mat, web, or fabric of fibers and the hollow glass microspheres so that the thermoplastic prepreg has a void content of less than 3% by volume of the thermoplastic prepreg. The thermoplastic material is polymerized monomers and oligomers in which greater than 90% by weight of the monomers or oligomers react to form the thermoplastic material.

A building product for application to the exterior of a building. The front face of the product utilizes a first fiber sheet partially embedded within a thermoset polymer coating resin. A foamed closed cell admixture composition core with an inorganic filler overlays the thermoset polymer coating resin with the embedded fiber sheet. The admixture composition infiltrates and bonds to the portion of the fiber sheet that is not embedded within the thermoset polymer coating resin mechanically bonding to the thermoset polymer coating. A second fiber sheet overlays the admixture core and the admixture and second fiber sheet form the rear surface of the building product that is mounted adjacent the building surface.

A forming device, system, and method for continuous forming of a semi-finished fiber product. The semi-finished fiber product is supported flatly from a first side and is at least locally restricted in its freedom of movement, for example pressed on and/or guided, on another side opposite the first side. The further restriction occurs in relation to a guiding area at at least one constant location or region past which the semi-finished fiber product is guided. Shaping tools and guiding areas defined thereby are used for support, and hold-down devices and their contact surfaces are used for further restriction. The further restriction is carried out transversely to a feed motion direction of the semi-finished fiber product through the forming device. The further restriction and the flat guidance serve to reduce formation of undulations and folds.

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.

Assay cartridges are described that have a detection chamber, preferably having integrated electrodes, and other fluidic components which may include sample chambers, waste chambers, conduits, vents, bubble traps, reagent chambers, thy reagent pill zones and the like. In certain embodiments, these cartridges are adapted to receive and analyze a sample collected on an applicator stick. Also described are kits including such cartridges and a cartridge reader configured to analyze an assay conducted using an assay cartridge.

Disclosed herein a method for making a unidirectional continuous fiber-reinforced resin composite material. A resin plasticized and molten by an extruder is transported to a coating guide roller through a die head, and a hot-melt resin film layer with uniform thickness is formed on a roller surface of the coating guide roller. Simultaneously, the coating guide roller guides the hot-melt resin to continuously and uniformly coat on a row of flattened unidirectional continuous fibers along the roller surface of the coating guide roller. Subsequently, the coated flattened unidirectional continuous fibers pass through an open dip-coating roller device to effectively combine with the hot-melt resin to obtain a composite material of the hot-melt resin and fibers, which passes through a cooling and forming device to a winder under a driving force of a main traction to obtain the unidirectional continuous fiber-reinforced resin composite material.