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 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.

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.

A thermoplastic surfacer for providing lightning strike protection to a composite component of an aircraft, methods of manufacturing the surfacer, and methods of applying the surfacer to a composite part. The thermoplastic surfacer includes a broadgood having an amorphous thermoplastic resin, one or more fillers embedded into the broadgood, and a lightning strike protection mesh or foil embedded into the broadgood. When applying the surfacer to a composite part of an aircraft, the method includes draping the surfacer on an at least partially unconsolidated composite part, consolidating the at least partially unconsolidated composite part by heating the part to a temperature at or above a melt temperature of a resins used in the part and in the surfacer, and filling at least one surface defect in the consolidated part using the amorphous thermoplastic polymer resin and milled fibers provided in the thermoplastic surfacer.

A thermoplastic surfacer for providing lightning strike protection to a composite component of an aircraft, methods of manufacturing the surfacer, and methods of applying the surfacer to a composite part. The thermoplastic surfacer includes a broadgood having a thermoplastic resin, one or more fillers embedded into the broadgood, and a lightning strike protection mesh or foil embedded into the broadgood. When applying the surfacer to a composite part of an aircraft, the method includes draping the surfacer on an at least partially unconsolidated composite part, consolidating the at least partially unconsolidated composite part by heating the part to a temperature at or above a melt temperature of a resins used in the part and in the surfacer, and filling at least one surface defect in the consolidated part using the thermoplastic polymer resin and milled fibers provided in the thermoplastic surfacer.

Disclosed is a resin composite having improved tensile properties and a method of preparing the same. Particularly, the resin composite comprises a matrix resin and a reinforcement resin which are made of thermoplastic resin compositions.

In an embodiment, an energy-absorbing device can comprise: a polymer reinforcement structure, wherein the polymer reinforcement structure comprises a polymer matrix and chopped fibers; and a shell comprising 2 walls extending from a back and forming a shell channel, wherein the shell comprises continuous fibers and a resin matrix; wherein the polymer reinforcement structure is located in the shell channel.

The present disclosure is directed to the use of additive manufacturing, and in particular, a fused deposition modeling (FDM) process, in the production of fabrics. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to the use of additive manufacturing to fabricate three-dimensional elements on a fabric support structure. Also disclosed are methods for determining the spatial relationship between a fabric support structure and a print head used in additive manufacturing.

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 to materials which increases the positive buoyancy of the composites in water.