Biologically-inspired compositions, including color changing compositions, and corresponding embodiments such as sensors, textile materials, coatings and films, are provided which typically include a solid, transparent and nondegradable matrix. The matrix contains a plurality of (i) synthetic particles having a size in the micrometer or nanometer range, each synthetic particle including one or more aggregates of a pigment selected from phenoxazone, phenoxazine, and a derivate or precursor thereof, and a stabilizing material which has a refractive index larger than 1.45, the aggregates having a size larger than about 100 nm; or (ii) submicrometer natural particles extracted and purified from homogenized tissue.

The dynamic fatigue and hysteresis performances of fiber reinforced rubber compounds are compared using different plasticizers. Fiber reinforced rubber compounds including a non-linear functionalized fatty acid ester, preferably a trimellitate, and more preferably Tris (2-Ethylhexyl) Trimellitate (TOTM) are shown to demonstrate greatly improved dynamic fatigue and hysteretic performance as compared to reference fiber reinforced rubber compounds including conventional reference plasticizers such as Di-isodecyl phthalate (DIDP).

A soft structure fiber reinforcement and actuation technology is provided. In an example embodiment, the tendon-driven, fiber-reinforced elastomer membrane comprises an elastomer matrix material and a fiber array embedded within the elastomer matrix material. The one or more tendons are not mechanically bonded to the elastomer matrix material, such that the one or more embedded tendons are able to move through the elastomer matrix material. One or more apparatuses may employ one or more such tendon-driven, fiber-reinforced elastomer membranes for use in a variety of applications.

A resin impregnating device (1) is used in a method for producing a reinforcing bar and has a chamber for holding a liquid thermoplastic resin. A plurality of guide plates (4A-4C) is arranged in the chamber along a traveling direction of a plurality of strands of reinforcing fiber material (Fb). Through holes (41) in two of the guide plates (4A, 4C) guide or spread the strands of the reinforcing fiber material Fb away from each other, and a single through hole (42) in an intermediate one of the guide plates (4B) guides or converges all the strands of the reinforcing fiber material (Fb) towards each other.

The present invention relates to a fiber-reinforced plastic, including: a reinforcing fiber group containing reinforcing fibers; a thermosetting resin layer containing a first thermosetting resin; and a thermoplastic resin layer, in which the thermoplastic resin layer is provided as a surface layer of the fiber-reinforced plastic, an interface between the thermoplastic resin layer and the thermosetting resin layer is positioned inside the reinforcing fiber group, and the thermoplastic resin layer contains a dispersed phase of a second thermosetting resin.

The present application relates to a fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite sheet and a method for preparing the same. The fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite sheet has on its surface a marble texture effect obtained by laminating cut pieces of a continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite unidirectional tape, wherein the fibers and the resin used in the continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite unidirectional tape have different colors. The thermoplastic composite sheet may be prepared using a simple and quick method, and meet individual requirements of surface appearance of the final product.

The present disclosure relates to a prepreg, a preparation method thereof and a fiber-reinforced composite material prepared therefrom. The preparation method of a prepreg may include an aramid fiber base material with improved wettability to resin, can increase a thickness reduction rate during molding of the prepreg, has an appropriate resin content, and can provide a prepreg suitable for molding by an out-of-autoclave process. In addition, the prepreg may provide a fiber-reinforced composite material that exhibits a thin thickness and a high resin content even by an out-of-autoclave process, and shows high strength and low moisture absorption

A water-containing urethane resin composition that is produced using a biomass raw material and excellent in oleic acid resistance, texture, and liquid mixture stability. A urethane resin composition including: a urethane resin (A) having an anionic group and a nonionic group and produced using as a raw material a polycarbonate polyol (a1) produced using biomass-derived decanediol as a raw material; a nonionic emulsifier (B); and water (C). A leather sheet in which a coagulated product of the urethane resin composition is present in a fibrous substrate. Both the urethane resin (A) and the nonionic emulsifier (B) preferably have an oxyethylene group and an oxypropylene group.

A method for improving the translation efficiency of fiber strength into composite strength is provided. A single unidirectional tape, single unidirectional fiber web or a stack of unidirectional web/unidirectional tape plies formed from partially oriented fibers/tapes is primed under mild conditions followed by subjecting the primed plies to an axial extension stress in the axial fiber direction of each fiber ply by passage through a compression apparatus. The axial extension stress extends the fibers, strengthening them, while also compacting the plies together and thereby forming a composite having improved strength. Production yield is improved by avoiding maximal fiber stretching and thereby avoiding typical manufacturing loss, and low weight composite armor having increased strength is achieved.

The invention relates to a moulded article (3) comprising a basic material (1), wherein the basic material (1) contains a wax, and also a filler, wherein the filler comprises or consists of a mineral filler and/or a fibrous material, wherein the wax is contained in the basic material (1) with a content of between 3% by weight and 60% by weight, wherein the filler is contained in the basic material (1) with a content of between 40% by weight and 97% by weight, wherein the moulded article (3) comprises a moulded element (2), and wherein the moulded element (2) comprises or consists of a fibrous material. The invention also relates to a process for producing a moulded article (3).