A method of activating a surface of a plastics substrate formed from: (a) polyaryletherketone such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK) polyether ketone ketone (PEKK), polyether ketone (PEK); polyether ether ketone ketone (PEEKK); or polyether ketone ether ketone ketone (PEKEKK); (b) a polymer containing a phenyl group directly attached to a carbonyl group, for example polybutadiene terephthalate (PBT) optionally wherein the carbonyl group is part of an amide group, such as polyarylamide (PARA); (c) polyphenylene sulfide (PPS); or (d) polyetherimide (PEI); for subsequent bonding, the method comprising the step of exposing the surface to actinic radiation wherein the actinic radiation: includes radiation with wavelength in the range from about 10 nm to about 1000 nm; the energy of the actinic radiation to which the surface is exposed is in the range from about 0.5 J/cm.sup.2 to about 300 J/cm.sup.2. Hard to bond substrates are then more easily subsequently bonded for example using acrylic, epoxy or anaerobic adhesive.

A partially separated fiber bundle includes separation-processed sections and not-separation-processed sections that are alternately formed along the lengthwise direction of a fiber bundle that includes a plurality of single fibers, wherein the separation-processed sections include a plurality of divided fiber bundles that have been divided by separation processing. The partially separated fiber bundle is characterized in that the numbers of single fibers of the divided fiber bundles in the separation-processed section are nonuniform.

Provided is an electrically conductive resin composition with which the characteristics inherent in a thermoplastic resin are easily retained and which exhibits more excellent electrical conductivity even if the blending amount of an electrically conductive filler is small. This electrically conductive resin composition contains a thermoplastic resin, such as a polycarbonate or a polyolefin, and an electrically conductive filler, such as a carbon nanotube. This electrically conductive resin composition further contains a dye, such as a perinone-based dye or a disazo-based dye, which is a component for improving electrical conductivity, and this electrically conductive resin composition can be obtained by kneading or molding a raw material mixture containing a thermoplastic resin, an electrically conductive filler, and a dye under a condition of a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the thermoplastic resin.

Provided is a resin composition including carbon fibers and a thermoplastic resin, in which the carbon fibers have a tensile elastic modulus E of 350 to 500 GPa, and the tensile elastic modulus E (GPa) and a loop fracture load A (N) satisfy the relationship of A≥−0.0017×E+1.02. This resin composition not only has a high moldability into a member of a complex shape by injection molding, but also can yield a molded article having excellent flexural modulus and excellent impact characteristics.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a thermoplastic resin composition having exceptional thermal stability and mechanical characteristics, a fiber-reinforced resin substrate, and a molded article obtained therefrom. In order to achieve the abovementioned purpose, an embodiment of the present invention has the structure described below. Specifically, a thermoplastic resin composition including a thermoplastic resin (A) having an electron-donating group, and a transition metal compound (B), wherein the transition metal compound (B) includes a nickel compound (B1) and a copper compound (B2), the complete decomposition temperature of the copper compound (B2) is 400° C. or higher, and the copper compound (B2) has a nickel content of 0.001-4 parts by mass (inclusive) and a copper content of 0.001-4 parts by mass (inclusive) with respect to 100 parts by mass of the thermoplastic resin (A) having an electron-donating group.

The present invention relates to a polymer composition (C) comprising: —a polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), —at least 3 wt. % of polyamide 6 (PA6), —25 to 60 wt. % of reinforcing agents, —3 to 8 wt. % of a functionalized, non-aromatic elastomer, wherein the weight ratio PPS/PA6 is at least 4 and wherein wt. % are based on the total weight of the composition. The present invention also relates to articles incorporating the polymer composition and the use of polyamide 6 (PA6) as a heat-aging stabilizer in a polymer composition.

Fine polymer particles are prepared by dissolving a polycarbonate, a poly(arylene ether), or a poly(arylene ether sulfone), each in a specific solvent, to form a slurry, heating the slurry to a temperature greater than the solvent boiling point to form a homogeneous solution, cooling the solution to form a dispersion of fine particles, and isolating the fine particles. A volume-based distribution of the isolated fine particles has a median equivalent spherical diameter less than or equal to 125 micrometers.

The present invention relates to a poly(arylene sulfide) (PAS), comprising recurring units p, q and r according of formula (I) wherein n.sub.p, n.sub.q and n.sub.r are respectively the mole % of each recurring units p, q and r; recurring units p, q and r are arranged in blocks, in alternation or randomly; 2≤(n.sub.q+n.sub.r)/(n.sub.p+n.sub.q+n.sub.r)≤9; n.sub.q is ≥0% and n.sub.r is ≥0%; j is zero or an integer varying between 1 and 4; R.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkyl groups, C.sub.7-C.sub.24 alkylaryl groups, C.sub.7-C.sub.24 aralkyl groups, C.sub.6-C.sub.24 arylene groups, C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkoxy groups, and C.sub.6-C.sub.18 aryloxy groups.

##STR00001##

An object of the present invention is to provide a prepreg and a laminate for producing a laminate suitable as a structural material, which have excellent joining strength and interlaminar fractural toughness values and can be firmly integrated with another structural member by welding. The present invention provides a prepreg including the following structural components, [A] reinforcing fibers, [B] an epoxy resin, and [C] a thermoplastic resin, wherein all epoxy resins included in [B] have an average epoxy value of 2.0 meq./g or more and 5.0 meq./g or less, [C] is present in a surface of the prepreg, and the reinforcing fibers [A] are present, which are included in a resin area including [B] and a resin area including [C] across an interface between the two resin areas.

A fiber-reinforced plastic substrate is described in which a plurality of resins having different properties are firmly compounded and that includes components [A], [B], and [C]: [A] reinforcing fibers; [B] thermoplastic resin (b); and [C] thermoplastic resin (c),
wherein the component [A] is arranged in one direction, in the fiber-reinforced plastic substrate, a resin area including the component [B] and a resin area including the component [C] are present, the resin area including the component [B] is present on a surface of one side of the fiber-reinforced plastic substrate, and a distance Ra.sub.(bc) between Hansen solubility parameters of the component [B] and the component [C] satisfies formula (1):

Ra.sub.(bc)={4(δDB−δDC).sup.2+(δPB−δPC).sup.2+(δHB−δHC).sup.2}.sup.1/2≥8

wherein Ra.sub.(bc), δDB, δDC, δPB, δPC, δHB and δHC are as defined.