Curable prepregs possessing enhanced ability for the removal of gases from within prepregs and between prepreg plies in a prepreg layup prior to and/or during consolidation and curing. Each curable prepreg is a resin-impregnated, woven fabric that has been subjected to a treatment to create an array of openings in at least one major surface. Furthermore, the location of the openings is specific to the weave pattern of the fabric.

In a method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin molded body (10) by heat-compressing fiber substrates (11A to 11D) together with a thermosetting resin (15) so that the thermosetting resin (15) is impregnated into the fiber substrates (11A to 11D) and cured, a thermosetting resin powder (15A) is disposed in contact with at least one surface of the fiber substrates (11A to 11D), the fiber substrates (11A to 11D) are heat-compressed together with the thermosetting resin powder (15A) by a mold (30) so that the thermosetting resin powder (15A) is melted, impregnated into the fiber substrates (11A to 11D), and cured. Also disclosed is a fiber-reinforced resin molded body as well as a vehicle or airframe including a fiber-reinforced resin molded body.

The present invention relates to resin compositions, fiber reinforced polymeric structures and electromagnetic induction processes for making same. Such magnetic induction processes are pulsed processes that can be optionally coupled with cooling steps between pulses. The aforementioned fiber reinforced polymeric structures can take forms that include, but are not limited to, pipes; pressure vessels, including rocket motor cases and fire extinguishers; golf club shafts; tennis and badminton racquets; skis; snowboards; hockey sticks; fishing rods; bicycle frames; boat masts; oars; paddles; baseball bats; and softball bats. In addition, such fiber reinforced polymeric structures can be supplemented with other materials, such as a rocket propellant, to form articles, for example, a rocket motor.

[Object]

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a layered composite that is high in both flexural modulus and moldability.

[Solving Means]

Provided is a layered composite including a carbon-fiber-reinforced resin in which a chopped strand prepreg obtained by impregnating fiber in resin is oriented in such a manner as to exhibit pseudo-isotropic properties, and a steel plate that is layered on at least one surface of the carbon-fiber-reinforced resin and has a tensile breakage elongation ϕ of equal to or more than 20%, the flexural modulus in a flat plate state obtained in compliance with ASTM D-790 being equal to or more than 30 GPa.

An apparatus for impregnating fiber structures with a matrix material includes a lower part having a bath for receiving the matrix material and a draining unit. The draining unit includes a wiper having a wiping edge, over which the impregnated fiber structure is guided during operation, and a surface inclined in the direction of the bath, by which matrix material draining from the fiber structure can return into the bath. The draining unit includes a cover on which a deflection unit, by which the fiber structure is pressed into the bath when the cover is mounted, is mounted. When the cover is mounted, a gap is formed between the cover and the lower part on the sides by which the fiber structure is guided into the apparatus and emerges from the apparatus. A method for impregnating fiber structures with a matrix material is also disclosed.

A composite material having at least two layers of reinforcing fibers impregnated with a curable resin; an interlaminar region formed between adjacent layers of reinforcing fibers; and a combination of polymeric toughening particles and fire-retardant particles in the interlaminar region.

A laminate body is provided which contains a thin prepreg having a component (A) containing a matrix of reinforcing fiber, a component (B) containing a thermosetting resin, and a component (C) containing particles of a thermoplastic resin. When molded and cured out of autoclave, the laminate body achieves a fiber-reinforced composite having a low void ratio and providing excellent mechanical performance.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a molding material from which a carbon fiber reinforced composite material having excellent impact resistance and tensile strength is obtained; and a molding material from which a glass fiber reinforced composite material, that has high bending strength and impact resistance, has excellent weather resistance, and can suppress a decrease in bending strength after water absorption, is obtained. In order to achieve the purpose, the molding material according to the present invention is a molding material formed of an epoxy resin composition and a carbon fiber and/or a glass fiber, wherein the epoxy resin composition includes all of [A] to [C], the carbon fiber satisfies conditions [a] and [b], and the glass fiber has a surface functional group capable of forming a covalent bond with an isocyanate group. [A] Epoxy resin having at least two oxylan groups in molecule [B] Epoxy resin curing agent having at least two isocyanate groups in molecule [C] Catalyst [a] Having substantially perfect circular cross section [b] Average fiber diameter of 4.0-8.0 μm

A resin composition having favorable heat stability while capable of primary curing at 140° C or lower, and having excellent heat resistance after curing, and a pre-preg having excellent heat resistance while a molded product after molding maintains mechanical characteristics are provided. The resin composition of the present invention comprises a constituent element (A): a cyanate ester resin, a constituent element (B): an imidazole compound, and a constituent element (C): silica, in which an average particle size of the silica is 0.4 μm or less. The pre-preg of the present invention comprises carbon fibers, and the resin composition of the present invention.

A prepreg is provided that has excellent processability and handleability and that can be processed into a cured product with high heat resistance. Also provided is a method to produce such a prepreg in an industrially advantageous way without being restricted by the types and contents of the matrix resin components used. The prepreg includes at least components [A] to [D] as given below and a preliminary reaction product that is a reaction product of the component [B] and the component [C], at least one surface resin in the prepreg having a storage elastic modulus G′ in the range of 1.0×10.sup.3 to 2.0×10.sup.8 Pa as measured at a temperature of 40° C. and an angular frequency in the range of 0.06 to 314 rad/s: [A] carbon fiber, [B] epoxy resin, [C] curing agent, and [D] thermoplastic resin.