Space filling material and space filling structure, and methods for using those

A space filling material comprising:

• reinforcing fibers as an expansion material, the reinforcing fibers forming a plurality of intersections, and,
• a resin bonding at least one of the intersections;
• and
• the space filling material generating an expansion stress upon heating in at least a thickness direction such that the space filling material fills a predetermined space
• wherein the reinforcing fibers are in bent forms each receiving a bending load;
• and
• softening of the resin releases the bending load to make the space filling material to be expanded.

A space filling material comprising:

• reinforcing fibers as an expansion material, the reinforcing fibers forming a plurality of intersections, and,
• a resin bonding at least one of the intersections;
• and
• the space filling material generating an expansion stress upon heating in at least a thickness direction such that the space filling material fills a predetermined space wherein:
• the resin is a thermoplastic resin;
• and
• the thermoplastic resin is at least one of thermoplastic resin selected from a group consisting of a thermoplastic polyimide-based resin, a polyether ketone-based resin, a semi-aromatic polyamide-based resin, a polycarbonate-based resin, a liquid crystal polyester-based resin, a polysulfone-based resin, and a polytetrafluoroethylene-based resin.