The invention relates to a process for manufacturing a nonflat article comprising the steps of providing a structure comprising a fibrous material and a resin comprising a polymer derived from an aliphatic polyalcohol with 2-15 carbon atoms and an aliphatic polycarboxylic acid that has an extent of polymerization of above 0 to 1.0, or the precursor monomers of such polymer, wherein the structure has a void fraction of 0.3-0.98 and a water content of below 40 wt. %; and subjecting the structure to the following steps polymerising to an extent of polymerisation of 0.5-1, if necessary, pressing to reduce void fraction, and forming the structure into a non-flat article by applying a force at an internal temperature above glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) of the polymer in a defined order to form a non-flat article having an extent of polymerisation of at least 0.5 and a water content less than 20 wt. %. The invention also relates to non-flat articles obtainable by the process and structures suitable for use in the process.

A system for production of a thermoplastic injection molding material granulate has at least one production unit for the production of a fiber reinforced plastic granulate from a thermoplastic granulate and natural fibers. to the system has at least one heat-treatment unit for the treatment of the fiber-reinforced plastic granulate providing heat such that an outer layer of each heated granulate grain of the fiber-reinforced plastic granulate is at least partially converted to a liquid physical state. The system has at least one applicator unit for applying a chemical foaming agent powder to at least some portions of each heated granulate grain, where the heat treatment unit is equipped to carry out the heat treatment such that a temperature of the molten outer layer of the respective granulate grain is below a reaction temperature of the foaming agent.

[Problem] An object of the present invention is to provide a foam including a thermoplastic resin and rubber as a main component, in which a micronized product of a cellulose fiber is uniformly dispersed, and uniformity and mechanical properties are excellent. [Solution] A foam includes a modified cellulose fiber (A) covalently bonded with a diene-based polymer, a thermoplastic resin and/or rubber (B), and a diene-based polymer (C) having a functional group capable of covalently bonding with a cellulose fiber, in which the fiber (A) is micronized, the fiber (A) has a content of 0.05 to 20% by mass, and the thermoplastic resin and/or rubber (B) has a glass transition point of −130° C. to 120° C.

An organic fiber-reinforced resin formed body that contains a resin and a cellulose fiber, wherein the resin formed body has a density of 0.65 g/cm.sup.3 or less, and a method for producing the same.

A sized reinforcing filler, comprising a filler and a sizing agent disposed on at least a portion of the filler, to be used for reinforcement for plastics is disclosed. The sizing agent is based upon at least one of a polyvinyl alcohol, an ethylene/vinyl alcohol copolymer, a silane-grafted polyvinyl alcohol and a silane-grafted ethylene/vinyl alcohol copolymer, a silane-grafted polyvinyl alcohol and a silane-grafted ethylene/vinyl alcohol copolymer. The polyvinyl alcohol is useful as a size for all types of fibers and particles to reinforce all types of commodity and engineering plastics, particularly polyolefin resins, to form polymer composites. As such, polymer composites reinforced with such sized reinforcing fillers, as well as articles, components, and products including such polymers composites, are also disclosed.

A cellulose fiber-reinforced polypropylene resin formed body that is a resin formed body having respective diffraction peaks observed at positions of a scattering vector s of 1.61±0.1 nm.sup.−1, 1.92±0.1 nm.sup.−1, and 3.86±0.1 nm.sup.−1 in a wide-angle X-ray diffraction measurement, and is characterized by having ΔT calculated by the following formula (1) of 40.0° C. or more; and a cellulose fiber-reinforced polypropylene resin formed body that is a resin formed body having the above diffraction peaks and is characterized by having ΔT.sub.m and ΔT.sub.c expressed by the following formulae (2) and (3) and satisfying ΔT.sub.m<ΔT.sub.c; and a producing method of these.

ΔT=T.sub.m(PP Cell)−T.sub.c(PP Cell)  (1)

ΔT.sub.m=T.sub.m(PP)−T.sub.m(PP Cell)  (2)

ΔT.sub.c=T.sub.c(PP)−T.sub.c(PP Cell)  (3)

A binder that is used for forming fiber-based items and that binds fibers contains a polyester and an aggregation inhibitor. The polyester contains a structural unit derived from polyethylene terephthalate, a structural unit derived from at least one polyvalent carboxylic acid, and a structural unit derived from at least one polyhydric alcohol including trimethylolpropane. The binder exhibits a viscosity coefficient higher than 3500 P at 150° C. in dynamic viscoelasticity measurement.

Disclosed herein is cellulose acetate fibers that have an excellent affinity for resins and is capable of reinforcing resins. The cellulose acetate fibers have a cellulose triacetate I crystal structure and a number-average fiber diameter of 2 nm or more but 400 nm or less.

An object of the present invention is to develop and provide a fiber-reinforced composite material having a bagworm silk thread(s) as a reinforcing fiber and being isotropic in terms of elastic modulus and strength. A fiber-reinforced composite material having nonwoven fabric(s) including bagworm silk thread as a reinforcing fiber is also provided.

A method for preparing a composite material that includes the steps of: (i) heat treating natural lignocellulosic fibers at a temperature of 130 to 320° C. for 2 minutes to 24 hours in an atmosphere oxygen-deficient in and in the presence of water vapor, and (ii) mixing the heat treated natural lignocellulosic fibers with at least one thermoplastic polymer in the molten state and whose melting point is less than or equal to 230° C. The method is useful for producing vehicle parts from a composite material having natural lignocellulosic fibers with reduced volatile organic compound odor emissions.