A system for manufacturing a thermoplastic prepreg includes a double belt mechanism that is configured to compress a fiber mat, web, or mesh that is passed through the double belt mechanism, a resin applicator that is configured to apply monomers or oligomers to the fiber mat, web, or mesh, and a curing oven that is configured to effect polymerization of the monomers or oligomers and thereby form the thermoplastic polymer as the fiber mat, web, or mesh is moved through the curing oven. The double belt mechanism compresses the fiber mat, web, or mesh and the applied monomers or oligomers as the fiber mat, web, or mesh is passed through the curing oven so that the monomers or oligomers fully saturate the fiber mat, web, or mesh. Upon polymerization of the monomers or oligomers, the fiber mat, web, or mesh is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer.

The present invention provides a polyfunctional phenolic resin and a polyfunctional epoxy resin having low viscosity and having excellent mechanical properties and heat resistance of a cured product to be obtained, a curable resin composition containing these, and a cured product thereof. Specifically, provided are a polyfunctional phenolic resin formed with a naphthol structure optionally having a substituent on an aromatic ring and a catechol structure optionally having a methyl group as a substituent on an aromatic ring bonded together via a methylene group optionally having a substituent, a polyfunctional epoxy resin obtained by epoxidizing the polyfunctional phenolic resin, a curable resin composition containing any of these, and a cured product thereof.

The present invention provides a polyfunctional phenolic resin and a polyfunctional epoxy resin having low viscosity and having excellent mechanical properties and heat resistance of a cured product to be obtained, a curable resin composition containing these, and a cured product thereof. Specifically, provided are a polyfunctional phenolic resin formed with a naphthol structure optionally having a substituent on an aromatic ring and a catechol structure optionally having a methyl group as a substituent on an aromatic ring bonded together via a methylene group optionally having a substituent, a polyfunctional epoxy resin obtained by epoxidizing the polyfunctional phenolic resin, a curable resin composition containing any of these, and a cured product thereof.

Provided are a curable composition which is rapidly curable and which gives cured products with good heat resistance, a cured product thereof, a fiber-reinforced composite material, a fiber-reinforced resin-molded article, and a method for manufacturing the fiber-reinforced resin-molded article. Provided are a curable composition containing an epoxy resin (A), an aliphatic and/or alicyclic amine compound (B), and an imidazole compound (C), wherein the ratio H/E of the number of moles H of active hydrogen in the aliphatic and/or alicyclic amine compound (B) to the number of moles E of an epoxy group in the epoxy resin (A) is in the range of 0.2 to 0.9; a cured product thereof; a fiber-reinforced composite material; a fiber-reinforced resin-molded article; and a method for manufacturing the fiber-reinforced resin-molded article.

A fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin molded article includes a thermoplastic resin [A] and carbon fibers [B], a content of the thermoplastic resin [A] being 50 to 95 parts by weight and a content of the carbon fibers [B] being 5 to 50 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of a total of the thermoplastic resin [A] and the carbon fibers [B], the molded article having a bending elastic modulus of 30 GPa or more, an interfacial shear strength between the thermoplastic resin [A] and the carbon fibers [B] being 15 MPa or more, and a logarithmic decrement of the molded article calculated by Formula (1) of less than 3, wherein the carbon fibers [B] have a weight-average fiber length (L.sub.w) of 0.5 to 10.0 mm:

Logarithmic decrement δ=(1/n)×ln(α.sub.(1)/α.sub.(1+n))  (1).

A method for producing a sheet molding compound including impregnating a resin composition into carbon fibers. The method is characterized in that the bulkiness H.sub.o of the carbon fibers before an impregnation step is 3 mm or more, the compression ratio R.sub.c (H.sub.c/H.sub.o) of the carbon fibers in the impregnation step is less than 1, the thickness of the sheet molding compound is 10 mm or less, and the content Wc of the carbon fibers is 40% by mass or more. The method for producing a sheet molding compound can produce a sheet molding compound having the excellent impregnation property into carbon fibers and thus can be preferably used for exteriors, structures, and the like of an automotive member, a railroad vehicle member, an aerospace vehicle member, a ship member, a housing equipment member, a sport member, a light vehicle member, a civil engineering and construction member, an OA equipment.

Provided is a prepreg containing a urethane (meth)acrylate (A), an ethylenically unsaturated monomer (B), a polymerization initiator (C), and reinforcement fibers (D), characterized in that the urethane (meth)acrylate (A) is a reaction product of a polyisocyanate (a1) and a polyol (a2) having an ethylenically unsaturated group and an aromatic skeleton, and/or a reaction product of a polyisocyanate (a1), a polyol (a3) not having an ethylenically unsaturated group but having an aromatic skeleton, and a hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate (a4), and that the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (B) has a molecular weight of 320 or more and a weight reduction rate (%) of less than 2 when heated under atmospheric pressure at 150° C. for 3 minutes. The prepreg has excellent moldability and enables to produce a molded article having excellent physical properties such as flexural strength and interlaminar shear strength, and therefore the prepreg can be suitably used in automobile components and the like.

Provided is a prepreg containing a urethane (meth)acrylate (A), an ethylenically unsaturated monomer (B), a polymerization initiator (C), and reinforcement fibers (D), characterized in that the urethane (meth)acrylate (A) is a reaction product of a polyisocyanate (a1) and a polyol (a2) having an ethylenically unsaturated group and an aromatic skeleton, and/or a reaction product of a polyisocyanate (a1), a polyol (a3) not having an ethylenically unsaturated group but having an aromatic skeleton, and a hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate (a4), and that the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (B) has a molecular weight of 320 or more and a weight reduction rate (%) of less than 2 when heated under atmospheric pressure at 150° C. for 3 minutes. The prepreg has excellent moldability and enables to produce a molded article having excellent physical properties such as flexural strength and interlaminar shear strength, and therefore the prepreg can be suitably used in automobile components and the like.

Halogen-free, flame resistant and hydrolysis resistant polymer compositions are disclosed. The polymer composition of the present disclosure is also formulated to have improved electrical tracking resistance. The polymer composition contains a thermoplastic polymer, such as polybutylene terephthalate. The thermoplastic polymer is combined with a flame retardant that can include a phosphinate optionally in combination with a phosphite and/or a nitrogen-containing synergist. In order to improve electrical tracking resistance, one or more electrical resistance agents are added to the polymer composition. The electrical resistance agent, for instance, can be a flexible polymer.

Disclosed herein is a foamable composition including a polymer component, a foaming agent, a crosslinking agent, a filler, and a recovered silicon sludge containing silicon carbide and silicon. The polymer component is present in an amount ranging from 15 wt % to 60 wt % based on a total weight of the foamable composition. A foamed material prepared from the foamable composition and a composite product including the same are also disclosed.