A panel including at least a substrate of thermoplastic material and a top layer with a printed decor and a translucent or transparent wear layer. The substrate has a thickness larger than one half of the thickness of the entire panel, and the substrate at least includes two layers, where the two layers each include thermoplastic material. A first one of the two layers further includes at least 60 percent by weight of filler materials and a second one of the two layers includes less fillers or is not filled, and is situated above the first one of the two layers.

A preform includes a stack of a plurality of fiber materials. The fiber materials each include a first fiber layer including a reinforcing fiber and having a sheet shape, in which the reinforcing fiber has a melting point and a tensile strength that are higher than a melting point and a tensile strength of an aliphatic polyamide fiber, and a second fiber layer including the aliphatic polyamide fiber and having a sheet shape, and provided on at least one of surfaces of the first fiber layer. The aliphatic polyamide fiber includes a first polyamide resin and a second polyamide resin having a melting point higher than a melting point of the first polyamide resin by 7 degrees centigrade to 50 degrees centigrade.

A method produces thermoplastic resin-impregnated sheet-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle obtained by impregnating reinforcing fibers made from continuous fibers with a thermoplastic resin, said method including: an application step in which a sheet-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle obtained by arranging reinforcing fibers made from continuous fibers in one direction is passed through an application section which retains thermoplastic resin, and the thermoplastic resin is applied to the sheet-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle to constitute a thermoplastic resin-impregnated sheet-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle; a further impregnation step in which the applied thermoplastic resin is further impregnated into the inside of the thermoplastic resin-impregnated sheet-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle; and a shaping step in which the thermoplastic resin-impregnated sheet-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle is shaped and solidified by cooling.

A method may include placing a dry fabric over a tool; pressing a first resin film over the dry fabric while the dry fabric is draped over the tool to create an outer layer of the laminate composite structural component; repeating the placing and pressing process until a desired thickness of the outer layer is achieved; compressing a second resin film and a dry fiber fabric between two rollers to tack the second resin film to the dry fiber fabric to create a resin-fabric sheet comprising a resin film layer and an dry fiber fabric layer; cutting the resin-fabric sheet to a pre-determined shape to create at least one resin-fabric preform; and draping a first resin-fabric preform over at least a portion of the outer layer, wherein one or more edges of the first resin-fabric preform overlap the outer layer to create an internal edge.

A process and system are provided for introducing a blend of chopped and dispersed fibers on an automated production line amenable for inclusion in molding compositions as a blended fiber mat for structural applications. The blend of fibers are simultaneously supplied to an automated cutting machine illustratively including a rotary blade chopper disposed above a vortex supporting chamber. The blend of chopped fibers and binder form a chopped mat. The chopped mat has a veil mat placed on either side, and is consolidated with the veil mat using heated rollers maintained at the softening temperature of thermoplastic binder, with consolidated mats being amenable to being stored in rolls or as flat sheets. A charge pattern is made using the consolidated mat, and the charge pattern can be compression molded in a mold maintained at a temperature lower than the melting point of the thermoplastic fibers.

A molding method for a composite sheet used for manufacturing a thermosetting resin prepreg sheet in which a thermosetting resin material is impregnated into a fiber sheet includes: bringing a resin transfer sheet in which the thermosetting resin material of a predetermined thickness is carried on one surface of a transfer sheet into contact with one surface of the fiber sheet to be stacked on the fiber sheet. The resin transfer sheet and the fiber sheet in the stacked state are subjected to a heating treatment or heating and pressurizing treatment. The resin transfer sheet and the fiber sheet in the heated and stacked state is subjected to a cooling treatment or cooling and pressurizing treatment so that the thermosetting resin material is transferred to the fiber sheet and the thermosetting resin material is made to adhere to one surface side of the fiber sheet.

A method for manufacturing a panel, the panel having a thickness in a range of 1.5 to 6.5 mm and including at least one substrate layer and a printed decoration layer covered by a protection layer. The method includes the steps of providing a granulate containing PVC and fillers, and having a cylindrical shape with a cylinder diameter in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 mm and a cylinder height in the range of 0.2-2.0 mm, melting the granulates and forming the substrate layer by means of molten granulates. The layer have a thickness of 1 to 3.5 mm. The method also includes forming a laminated complex by applying the printed decoration layer and the protection layer to at least the substrate layer by laminating or coating.

A chopped roving thermoplastic composite sheet includes a web or mesh of chopped rovings and a thermoplastic resin that fully saturates the web or mesh of chopped rovings. The web or mesh of chopped rovings is not mechanically bonded and does not include a binder that bonds or adheres the chopped rovings together other than thermoplastic resin. As such, the thermoplastic resin and the web or mesh of chopped rovings are able to flow and conform to a mold or cavity when the chopped roving thermoplastic composite sheet is pressed within the mold or cavity and when the chopped roving thermoplastic composite sheet is heated to above the melting temperature of the thermoplastic resin.

A thermoplastic composite sheet may be composed of a polymer material matrix and a lightweight material that is disposed throughout the polymer material matrix. The polymer material matrix may extend continuously throughout a length, width, and thickness of the thermoplastic composite sheet. The polymer material matrix may be a fully polymerized thermoplastic material. The lightweight material may be fully saturated by the thermoplastic material of the polymer material matrix. The thermoplastic composite sheet may include between 50 and 99 weight percent of the thermoplastic material and between 1 and 50 weight percent of the lightweight material. The thermoplastic composite sheet may be free of reinforcing fibers.

The invention relates to a polymer composition and a fiber-composite semi-finished product, the surface thereof being at least partially formed from the polymer composition. The invention also relates to an associated production method for the fiber-composite semi-finished product. Said polymer composition is characterized in that it contains 100 parts by weight of a polyamide and 0.5-20 parts by weight of one or more adhesion-promoting additives.