Process to manufacture carbon fiber intermediate products in-line with carbon fiber production

A process for preparing a carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) intermediate product, wherein the CFRP intermediate product comprises carbon fiber and a thermoplastic or thermosetting polymeric matrix, the process comprising:

• (a) providing a carbon fiber precursor;
• (b) treating the carbon fiber precursor to form carbon fiber;
• (c) surface treating the carbon fiber, wherein the surface treating comprises at least one of washing, surface oxidizing, and surface etching the carbon fiber;
• (d) impregnating the surface treated carbon fiber with a polymeric resin corresponding to the thermoplastic or thermosetting polymeric matrix of the CFRP intermediate product, thereby providing impregnated carbon fiber;
• (e) cooling the impregnated carbon fiber to provide a cooled, impregnated carbon fiber, wherein the cooling is performed while maintaining the impregnated carbon fiber in a tape or ribbon geometry, or wherein the cooling is performed while shaping the impregnated carbon fiber into a rod-shaped geometry having a circular or other cross-sectional shape;
• and
• (f) processing the cooled, impregnated carbon fiber to provide the CFRP intermediate product, wherein steps (c)-(f) are performed in a continuous process at a single processing speed.