There is provided a method that includes directing one or more infrared cameras at a compaction roller of a composite laying head of a composite layup machine. The one or more infrared cameras are mounted aft of the compaction roller. The method includes applying heat to a substrate by a heater. The heater is mounted forward of the compaction roller. The method further includes using the one or more infrared cameras, to obtain one or more infrared images of the compaction roller, during laying down of one or more composite tows of a composite layup onto the substrate by the compaction roller. The method further includes identifying, based on the one or more infrared images, one or more temperature profiles of the compaction roller, and analyzing identified temperature profiles, to determine one or more of, a layup quality of the composite layup, and a heat history of the composite layup.

A sheetlike composite material including at least one layer A of a nonwoven thermoplastic fiber web or a thermoplastic film, and at least two unidirectional oriented-fiber layers B and B′, the layers B and B′ having a bidirectional fiber orientation. The layers are not only needled but also stitched to one another.

A reinforcing fiber composite material includes at least a matrix resin and discontinuous reinforcing fibers which include discontinuous reinforcing fiber aggregates, wherein the discontinuous reinforcing fibers include at least 5 wt % of discontinuous reinforcing fiber aggregates (A) in each of which a most widened section, where the width of the discontinuous reinforcing fiber aggregate in a direction intersecting the alignment direction of the discontinuous reinforcing fibers is made greatest when the discontinuous reinforcing fiber aggregate is two-dimensionally projected, is present at a position excluding both ends of the discontinuous reinforcing fiber aggregate, and the aspect ratio (width of the discontinuous reinforcing fiber aggregate/thickness of the discontinuous reinforcing fiber aggregate) of the most widened section is 1.3 times or more the aspect ratio of at least one of the ends of the discontinuous reinforcing fiber aggregate.

A manufacturing method of a long fiber composite material according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: preparing a main body where inlets and outlets through which a plurality of fiber bundles are respectively charged into and discharged from are formed; adjusting a height of a plurality of first through-hole plates and a height of a second through-hole plate that are disposed in the main body to be the same; having the plurality of fiber bundles penetrated through the first through-hole plate and the second through-hole plate; and adjusting the height of the first through-hole plate and the height of the second through-hole plate to be different from each other after penetrating the plurality of fiber bundles through the first through-hole plate and the second through-hole plate.

According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg includes a mechanism for moving a fabric or mat and a drying mechanism that removes residual moisture from at least one surface of the fabric or mat. The system also includes a resin application mechanism that applies a reactive resin to the fabric or mat and a press mechanism that presses the coated fabric or mat to ensure that the resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the coated fabric or mat is moved to polymerize the resin and thereby form a thermoplastic polymer so that upon exiting the oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer. During at least a portion of the process, humidity in the vicinity of the coated fabric or mat is maintained at substantially zero.

According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg includes a mechanism for moving a fabric or mat and a drying mechanism that removes residual moisture from at least one surface of the fabric or mat. The system also includes a resin application mechanism that applies a reactive resin to the fabric or mat and a press mechanism that presses the coated fabric or mat to ensure that the resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the coated fabric or mat is moved to polymerize the resin and thereby form a thermoplastic polymer so that upon exiting the oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer. During at least a portion of the process, humidity in the vicinity of the coated fabric or mat is maintained at substantially zero.

A prepreg includes composition elements [A], [B], and [C] described below,

[A] a reinforcing fiber,

[B] a thermosetting resin, and

[C] a thermoplastic resin.

[B] contains a thermoplastic resin having an aromatic ring with an amount of 10% or more by mass, a resin region containing [B] is present on one surface of the prepreg, a resin region containing [C] is present on another surface of the prepreg, and [A] that crosses over a boundary surface between the resin region containing [B] and the resin region containing [C] and that is in contact with both resin regions is present.

A method of producing a prepreg is described, in which a matrix resin is applied to a reinforcing fiber sheet in which the sheet can continuously run without clogging due to generated fuzz even at a high running speed and where the reinforcing fiber sheet can be efficiently impregnated with the matrix resin. A method of producing a prepreg includes allowing a reinforcing fiber sheet to pass substantially vertically downward through the inside of a coating section storing a matrix resin to apply the matrix resin to the reinforcing fiber sheet; and then applying a resin film to a primary impregnate prepreg withdrawn from the coating section.

A method of producing a prepreg is described, in which a matrix resin is applied to a reinforcing fiber sheet in which the sheet can continuously run without clogging due to generated fuzz even at a high running speed and where the reinforcing fiber sheet can be efficiently impregnated with the matrix resin. A method of producing a prepreg includes allowing a reinforcing fiber sheet to pass substantially vertically downward through the inside of a coating section storing a matrix resin to apply the matrix resin to the reinforcing fiber sheet; and then applying a resin film to a primary impregnate prepreg withdrawn from the coating section.

Ballistic resistant composite materials having high positive buoyancy in water are provided. More particularly, provided are foam-free, buoyant composite materials fabricated using dry processing techniques. The materials comprise fibrous plies that are partially coated with a particulate binder that is thermopressed to transform a portion of the binder into raised, discontinuous patches bonded to fiber/tape surfaces, while another portion of the particulate binder remains on the fibers/tapes as unmelted particles. The presence of the unmelted binder particles maintains empty spaces within the composite materials which increases the positive buoyancy of the composites in water.