A graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite comprising an essentially uniform distribution in a thermoplastic polymer of about 10% to about 50% of total composite weight of particles selected from graphite microp articles, single-layer graphene nanoparticles, multilayer graphene nanoparticles, and combinations thereof, where at least 50 wt % of the particles consist of single- and/or multi-layer graphene nanoparticles less than 50 nanometers thick along a c-axis direction. The graphene-reinforced polymer matrix is prepared by a method comprising (a) distributing graphite microparticles into a molten thermoplastic polymer phase comprising one or more matrix polymers; and (b) applying a succession of shear strain events to the molten polymer phase so that the matrix polymers exfoliate the graphite successively with each event until at least 50% of the graphite is exfoliated to form a distribution in the molten polymer phase of single- and multi-layer graphene nanoparticles less than 50 nanometers thick along a c-axis direction.

The present invention pertains to a method for producing a long-fiber composite in which a fiber bundle is impregnated with a non-Newtonian resin. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a method for producing a thermoplastic long-fiber composite, wherein the efficiency of a non-Newtonian resin impregnation process is improved using Equation 1 representing the correlation between the penetration pressure, effective viscosity, transverse permeability, and average penetration velocity of the non-Newtonian resin, and the thickness of the fiber bundle.

The resin composite of the present invention has a polyamide-based resin expanded sheet, and a fiber-reinforced resin layer integrally laminated on a surface of the polyamide-based resin expanded sheet.

The present invention provides a powder of spherical particles of crosslinkable polyamide suitable for the technique of selective laser sintering (SLS), and also a process for the production of such a powder of spherical particles of crosslinkable polyamide. The present invention also provides the production of articles by SLS, followed by a crosslinking step, starting from said powder of spherical particles of crosslinkable polyamide.

A method of making a molded article. The method includes introducing into a mold a composition including thermoplastic particles with hollow microspheres attached to their outer surfaces, rotating the mold, and heating the mold at a temperature at which the thermoplastic particles melt. The hollow microspheres are included in the molded article. Molded articles are also disclosed. A powder composition that includes thermoplastic powder particles and hollow ceramic microspheres attached to outer surfaces of at least some of the thermoplastic powder particles is also disclosed. The hollow ceramic microspheres are either adhered to the outer surfaces of at least some of the thermoplastic powder particles with a liquid or embedded in the outer surfaces of at least some of the thermoplastic powder particles.

A fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin molding material includes a thermoplastic resin; a resin impregnated reinforcing fiber filament obtained by impregnating reinforcing fibers with a resin having a melt viscosity at 200° C. lower than a melt viscosity of the thermoplastic resin; and a reinforcing fiber modifier having a melt viscosity at 200° C. lower than the melt viscosity of the thermoplastic resin and a difference in solubility parameter value from the thermoplastic resin equal to or larger than 1.0, the molding material including 50 to 98.9 parts by weight of the thermoplastic resin; 1 to 40 parts by weight of the reinforcing fiber; 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of the reinforcing fiber modifier; and 0.2 to 12 parts by weight of the resin relative to total 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic resin, the reinforcing fiber, and the reinforcing fiber modifier.

The invention refers to a method for producing expanded polymer pellets, which comprises the following steps: melting a polymer comprising a polyamide; adding at least one blowing agent; expanding the melt through at least one die for producing an expanded polymer; and pelletizing the expanded polymer. The invention further concerns polymer pellets produced with the method as well as their use, e.g. for the production of cushioning elements for sports apparel, such as for producing soles or parts of soles of sports shoes. A further aspect of the invention concerns a method for the manufacture of molded components, comprising loading pellets of an expanded polymer material into a mold, and connecting the pellets by providing heat energy, wherein the expanded polymer material of the pellets or beads comprises a chain extender. The molded components may be used in broad ranges of application.

This invention relates to a high molecular weight nylon powder composition for 3D printing, its preparation method and use. The composition comprises: 100 parts by weight of high-viscosity nylon powder, 1-5 parts by weight of a flow agent, and 0.1-1 parts by weight of an antioxidant; the high-viscosity nylon powder is one or more selected from nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 11, nylon 12, nylon 612 and nylon 610; or the powder composition is obtained via polymerization reaction of the raw materials comprising the following components, based on the weight parts of lactam monomers or amide monomers: 100 parts by weight of lactam monomers or amide monomers, 0.005-1 parts by weight of a catalyst, and 0.1-1 parts by weight of an antioxidant. The high molecular weight nylon powder composition prepared in the present invention has a particle diameter in the range of 20-100 micrometers, good powder spreading performance, and is suitable for the 3D printing process, and the product of the high molecular weight nylon powder composition has good mechanical properties, good dimensional stability and low manufacturing cost.

A resin composition or the like may exhibit high vibration damping properties even at a relatively high temperature, have good moldability, and have excellent impact resistance. The resin composition contains a thermoplastic resin (A), a thermoplastic resin (B), and a polar resin (C), wherein the resin composition satisfies (1) to (3): (1) the thermoplastic resin (B) has at least one of a reactive functional group and a monomer unit containing a hetero atom; (2) the thermoplastic resin (A) and the thermoplastic resin (B) are different types of resins; (3) with respect to the total mass of the resin composition, the content of the thermoplastic resin (A) is 1 to 30% by mass, the content of the thermoplastic resin (B) is 1 to 30% by mass, and the content of the polar resin (C) is 40 to 98% by mass.

Plastic powder for use as building material for additively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by selectively solidifying the building material at the positions corresponding to the cross-section of the three-dimensional object in the respective layer, in particular by exposure to radiation, wherein the plastic powder comprises a mixture of polymer-based particles and particles of a particulate additive and wherein the particulate additive is selected such that the crystallization point of the mixture of the polymer-based particles and the particulate additive is substantially not increased compared to the crystallization point of a mixture of the polymer-based particles without the particulate additive.