A preform includes a plurality of reinforcement fiber layers connected to each other by binder resin, the binder resin containing spacer particles insoluble in the binder resin, the spacer particles accounting for a volume proportion of 10% to 80% in the binder resin present in interlaminar gaps between the reinforcement fiber layers.

The present invention relates to a composition comprising at least one polymer, the polymer being present in the form of polymer particles and the composition contains at least one water-soluble agent, wherein the water-soluble agent has a proportion of at most 1 wt. % to the composition. The present invention further relates to a method for producing the claimed composition according to the invention and to the use thereof.

According to the present invention, there is provided a prepreg characterized by including a reinforcing fiber substrate composed of a reinforcing fiber, and an epoxy resin composition with which the reinforcing fiber substrate is partially or wholly impregnated, in which the epoxy resin composition includes, as an essential component, an epoxy resin, an amine-based curing agent, and a polyamide particle, the epoxy resin composition includes, as an optional component, an epoxy resin-soluble thermoplastic resin; and an epoxy group is introduced to the surface of the polyamide particle, and/or at least one of the epoxy resin, the amine-based curing agent, and the epoxy resin-soluble thermoplastic resin, included in the epoxy resin composition, partially permeates into the polyamide particle.

The present invention relates to: a polymer composition for preparing a hydrophilic separation membrane, containing sulfonated inorganic particles, preferably, sulfonated titanium dioxide; and a hydrophilic separation membrane prepared therefrom. The hydrophilic separation membrane of the present invention has advantages of having excellent water flux and an excellent antifouling property.

The invention enhances the production efficiency in the production of prepreg by allowing the arrangement property and rectilinearity of reinforcing fibers to be well maintained, allowing the basis weight uniformity of an applied resin to be good, and further allowing a high line speed and suppression of contamination in the process to be achieved. The invention provides a method of producing a prepreg, which includes: discharging a molten resin from a discharge portion; introducing the discharged resin by an air flow; and capturing the discharged resin on a reinforcing fiber sheet conveyed continuously, wherein a key point is that the discharged resin is captured in a region in which the reinforcing fiber sheet is conveyed substantially in planar form.

A foamed thermoplastic material includes a thermoplastic material exhibiting, in its unfoamed state, a particular flammability index, flame growth rate, and specific extinction area. The foamed thermoplastic material further includes a plurality of cells having a number average mean diameter of 5 to 150 micrometers present in an amount effective to provide the foamed thermoplastic material with a density that is 10 to 90 percent of the density of the unfoamed thermoplastic material. The foamed thermoplastic material exhibits a desirable tensile elongation and dielectric constant. A process for forming the foamed thermoplastic material, articles including the foamed thermoplastic material, and an article-forming process are also described.

A process for aligning discontinuous fibers, and composite products and mats comprised of highly aligned discontinuous fibers, including products of the process. Aligned discontinuous fiber composite products include a matrix of fibers, each fiber having a longitudinal fiber axis, the composite comprising a free, uncut edge extending along an edge axis. The longitudinal fiber axis of a majority of the fibers in the composite product are aligned within a predetermined alignment tolerance of an alignment axis non-parallel to the edge axis. Aligned discontinuous fiber mats may have a first areal density of fibers in a first region of the composite located inward relative to the free, uncut edge, and a second area density at or adjacent to the free, uncut edge.

A polymer composition [composition (C)] comprising: (a) a polyarylene ether ketone (PAEK-1) comprising recurring units deriving from the incorporation of 1,4:3,6-dianhydrohexitols; (b) a poly(biphenyl ether) sulfone (PPSU-1) comprising repeating units of formula (I) and/or (c) a polyetherimide (PEI-1) comprising repeating units of formula (II) wherein Ar* and Ar* are as defined in the specification are herein disclosed. (PAEK-1) and (PPSU-1) and/or (PEI-1) are completely miscible and give rise to compositions that are transparent and possess high strength and stiffness and that are suitable for the manufacture of a variety of shaped articles. ##STR00001##

To provide a method for producing a porous film in which even when minute fine particles are used, fine particles can be satisfactorily dispersed, a method for producing a composition for producing a porous film, and a porous film that can be produced by the method for producing a porous film. When a porous film is formed using a varnish including at least one resin component selected from the group consisting of polyamide acid, polyimide, a polyamide-imide precursor, polyamide-imide and polyethersulfone, and fine particles, varnish is produced by dispersing the fine particles by using a pressure device that pressurizes slurry including the fine particles and a dispersing device provided with a flow path whose cross-sectional area is 1960 m.sup.2 or more and 785000 m.sup.2 or less, and allowing the slurry pressurized to 50 MPa or more to pass through the flow path.

The invention relates to a process for making a membrane M comprising the following steps: providing a dope solution D comprising a polymer P selected from polyphenylenesulfone or mixtures of polyphenylenesulfone with nonionic polyarylene ethers, a first solvent selected from aprotic polar solvents, and a cosolvent selected from C.sub.2-C.sub.8 alkanediol, C.sub.3-C.sub.8 alkanetriol, polyethylene glycol, or mixtures thereof; and preparing the membrane by bringing the dope solution D into contact with a coagulating agent. The invention further relates to a membrane M obtainable in said process.