Additive manufacturing processes, such as powder bed fusion of thermoplastic particulates, may be employed to form printed objects in a range of shapes. It is sometimes desirable to form conductive traces upon the surface of printed objects. Conductive traces and similar features may be introduced during additive manufacturing processes by incorporating a metal precursor in a thermoplastic printing composition, converting a portion of the metal precursor to discontinuous metal islands using laser irradiation, and performing electroless plating. Suitable printing compositions may comprise a plurality of thermoplastic particulates comprising a thermoplastic polymer, a metal precursor admixed with the thermoplastic polymer, and optionally a plurality of nanoparticles disposed upon an outer surface of each of the thermoplastic particulates, wherein the metal precursor is activatable to form metal islands upon exposure to laser irradiation. Melt emulsification may be used to form the thermoplastic particulates.

A prepreg includes composition elements [A], [B], and [C] described below, [A] a reinforcing fiber, [B] a thermosetting resin, and [C] a thermoplastic resin. [C] is present on a surface of the prepreg, [B] contains a first curing agent [b1] and a second curing agent [b2], and the reinforcing fiber of [A] that crosses over a boundary surface between a resin region containing [B] and a resin region containing [C] and that is in contact with both resin regions is present.

A polymer-based spherical powder preparation device and preparation process are disclosed. The preparation device comprises a mill milling system and an inductively coupled plasma powder spheroidization system. The mill milling system of the preparation device can achieve ultra-fine grinding of the material at room temperature by applying strong extrusion, shear and circumferential stress to the material; and the inductively coupled plasma powder spheroidization system using high temperature plasma as high temperature heat source, the polymer powder can be heated uniformly, and the melting and cooling rate is fast, so the spheroidization can be completed in a short time. The preparation process of polymer based spherical powder was integrated and continuously produced by the preparation device.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a polyamide powder (PP) comprising at least one semicrystalline polyamide (P) and at least one additive (A). The semicrystalline polyamide (P) and the at least one additive (A) are initially compounded with one another in an extruder and subsequently introduced into a solvent (SV) in which the at least one semicrystalline polyamide (P) then crystallizes to obtain the polyamide powder (PP). The present invention further relates to the thus obtainable polyamide powder (PP) and to the use of the polyamide powder (PP) as sintering powder (SP) and also to a process for producing a shaped body by selective laser sintering of a polyamide powder (PP).

A molded product having both small specific gravity and high stiffness and also suffering few sink marks is described along with a method for the production thereof, where the molded product includes a porous body (A) integrated with an injection molded body (B), the porous body (A) having an apparent density of 0.05 to 0.8 g/cm.sup.3, the average thickness (tA) of the porous body (A) and the average thickness (tB) of the injection molded body (B) satisfying the relation tA≥3×tB, and the injection molded body (B) covering at least one face of the porous body (A).

Provided is a glass direct roving that can achieve good productivity for long glass fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin pellets, and achieve excellent spinning productivity and good strength of glass fiber-reinforced resin molded articles produced by using long glass fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin pellets in combination. The glass direct roving includes a plurality of glass filaments bundled together, wherein the filament diameter of the glass filaments, D, is in the range of 17.5 to 21.5 μm, the number of the glass filaments bundled, F, is in the range of 3000 to 7000, the mass of the glass direct roving is in the range of 2450 to 4000 tex, the ignition loss of the glass direct roving, L, is in the range of 0.03 to 0.90%, and the D, F, and L satisfy the following formula (1): $\begin{array}{cc}1050\le \left(D^4\times F^{1/4}\right)/\left(1000\times L^{1/6}\right)\le 1640.& \left(1\right)\end{array}$

A composition for fiber-reinforced resin that provides a fiber-reinforced resin with sufficient mechanical strength. The composition for fiber-reinforced resin contains at least one resin (A) selected from the group consisting of rosin resins, petroleum resins, terpene resins, and hydrides of cyclic ketone-aldehyde resins, and the resin (A) has a softening point of 80° C. to 180° C.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fiber-reinforced composite material achieving both lightweight properties and mechanical properties, a laminate thereof, and a prepreg capable of easily molding a sandwich structure thereof. The present invention is a prepreg comprising a reinforced fiber substrate (B) impregnated with a resin (A), wherein the reinforced fiber substrate (B) exists in a folded state having a plurality of folds with a fold angle of 0° or more and less than 90° in the prepreg.

Microporous sheet product and methods of making and using the same. In one embodiment, the microporous sheet product is made by a process that includes melt-extruding a sheet material using an extrusion mixture that includes a thermoplastic polymer, a superabsorbent polymer, and a compatibilizing agent. After extrusion, the compatibilizing agent may be removed from the sheet material. When the sheet product is imbibed with a polar or ion-containing liquid, the superabsorbent polymer swells, causing a reduction in the pore size of the sheet product. The exposure also causes some of the superabsorbent polymer to migrate to the exterior of the microporous sheet product. The microporous sheet product may be used, for example, as a battery separator, as a food packaging material, as a diffusion barrier in the ultrafiltration of colloidal matter, and in disposable garments.

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.