Processes for producing perform and FRP
AssigneeToray Industries, Inc.
InventorsNobuo Asahara, Hiroshi Odani, Eisuke Wadahara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A preform, formed with a plurality of reinforcing fiber substrates stacked to each other and each made of at least reinforcing fiber yarns, has a resin material, whose main component is a thermoplastic resin, interlaminated between the layers of the reinforcing fiber substrates in the preform, and has through holes extending through a plurality of the reinforcing fiber substrates in the thickness direction of the preform; an FRP molded using this preform; and processes for producing these. By improving the impregnability in the thickness direction of the preform, an FRP excellent both in various mechanical properties and in matrix resin impregnation and stabler in quality can be produced with high productivity.
Claims5
A process for producing an FRP comprising;
- a stacking step of stacking a plurality of reinforcing fiber substrates, each reinforcing fiber substrate made of at least reinforcing fiber yarns and a thermoplastic resin material on a surface of the substrate, in a preform mold to form a stacked body,
- a bonding step of at least partially bonding the plurality of reinforcing fiber substrates to each other, and
- a penetrating step of forming through holes which extend through a plurality of the reinforcing fiber substrates which are partially bonded to each other in a thickness direction of the stacked body with a needle or a pin having a length of its short axis of 0.1 to 3 mm, wherein substantially no cut end of reinforcing fiber filament exists in said through holes, and wherein the content of the thermoplastic resin material is in a range of 1 to 20 wt. % relative to the stacked body;
- a removing step for removing paid needle or said pin;
- a disposing step of disposing said stacked body in a mold;
- an injection step of injecting a thermosetting liquified matrix resin into said mold to impregnate said matrix resin into said preform, wherein the thermosetting liquified matrix resin is impregnated through the through holes, the shape of which is maintained by the thermoplastic resin material, and the thermosetting liquified matrix resin is distributed in the plane direction of the respective reinforcing fiber layers;
- and
- a curing step for curing said matrix resin with heat to form the FRP;
- wherein said removing step is carried out before said injection step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.