Polymer-fibre prepreg, a method for the preparation thereof as well as the use of said prepreg

A method for the preparation of a prepreg comprising a fibre product pre-impregnated with a polymer, said prepreg being porous and easy to shape at room temperature after the addition of a plasticizer, wherein the method comprises either

• i)
• a) coating fibres with a powder comprising at least one polymer and optionally an agent having the ability to initiate a polymerization reaction of said polymer,
• b) adding to the composition obtained in step a) a solvent possessing the ability to dissolve said polymer but lacking the ability to initiate the polymerization reaction of said polymer, and
• c) evaporating the solvent, or
• ii)
• a) dissolving a powder comprising at least one polymer and optionally an agent having the ability to initiate a polymerization reaction of said polymer into a solvent possessing the ability to dissolve said polymer but lacking the ability to initiate the polymerization reaction of said polymer, and
• b) contacting fibres with the solution obtained in the foregoing step, and
• c) evaporating the solvent, wherein a surface of the fibres is treated so as to facilitate bonding of the polymer to the fibres, whereafter the surface treated fibres are coated with the polymer powder.

A method for the preparation of a prepreg comprising a fibre product pre-impregnated with a polymer, said prepreg being porous and easy to shape at room temperature after the addition of a plasticizer, wherein the method comprises either

• i)
• a) coating fibres with a powder comprising at least one polymer and optionally an agent having the ability to initiate a polymerization reaction of said polymer,
• b) adding to the composition obtained in step a) a solvent possessing the ability to dissolve said polymer but lacking the ability to initiate the polymerization reaction of said polymer, and
• c) evaporating the solvent, or
• ii)
• a) dissolving a powder comprising at least one polymer and optionally an agent having the ability to initiate a polymerization reaction of said polymer into a solvent possessing the ability to dissolve said polymer but lacking the ability to initiate the polymerization reaction of said polymer, and
• b) contacting fibres with the solution obtained in the foregoing step, and
• c) evaporating the solvent, wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polymethyl methacrylate, ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate, 2,2-bis -propane, or hydroxyethylenemethacrylate, and wherein the agent facilitating the bonding of the polymer to the fibres is a silane compound which has been cured onto the fibres at elevated temperature.

A method for the manufacture of a fibre reinforced composite wherein a prepreg is used, said prepreg comprising a fibre product pre-impregnated with a polymer, wherein said polymer is present between the individual fibres and has been distributed between the fibres as a solution from which the solvent has been evaporated, said prepreg being porous and easy to shape at room temperature after the addition of a plasticizer, wherein the method comprises either

• i)
• a) coating fibres with a powder comprising at least one polymer and optionally an agent having the ability to initiate a polymerization reaction of said polymer,
• b) adding to the composition obtained in step a) a solvent possessing the ability to dissolve said polymer but lacking the ability to initiate the polymerization reaction of said polymer, and
• c) evaporating the solvent, or
• ii)
• a) dissolving a powder comprising at least one polymer and optionally an agent having the ability to initiate a polymerization reaction of said polymer into a solvent possessing the ability to dissolve said polymer but lacking the ability to initiate the polymerization reaction of said polymer, and
• b) contacting fibres with the solution obtained in the foregoing step, and
• c) evaporating the solvent, said method for the manufacture of a fibre reinforced composite comprising the steps of
• adding a plasticizer to said prepreg, which optionally can be pre-formed
• shaping the plasticized prepreg into a desired form,
• embedding the prepreg into the plain polymer of the composite or into a mixture of said polymer and the monomer, and
• allowing the polymer of the prepreg to polymerize simultaneously with the plain polymer of the composite.