Abstract: This prepreg comprises reinforcing fibers and a matrix resin composition. The matrix resin composition comprises at least an epoxy resin (component (A)), a radical polymerizable unsaturated compound (component (B)), and a polymer formed by radical polymerization of the component (B) (component (E)).

Abstract: Provided are a preform production apparatus and a preform production method which efficiently produce high quality preforms in which the occurrence of wrinkles, zigzagging of fibers and cracking are limited in production of a preform having a three-dimensional shape. The production apparatus is a preform production apparatus for shaping a reinforcing fiber base material into a specified shape prior to main molding thereof in order to obtain a fiber-reinforced resin molding of a desired shape, the apparatus comprising a stationary mold with a surface shape corresponding to the specified shape an end effector for pressing the reinforcing fiber base material on a surface of the stationary mold; and a control unit for moving the end effector.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a fiber reinforced resin material, the method including an opening step of opening an elongated fiber bundle to be widened in a width direction thereof to be put into a flat state; and a heat setting step of heat-setting the opened fiber bundle in the flat state by heating. In addition, the present invention provides an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber reinforced resin material containing a plurality of fiber bundles and a resin, the apparatus including an opening section that opens an elongated fiber bundle to be widened in a width direction thereof to be put into a flat state; and a heat setting section that heat-sets the opened fiber bundle in the flat state by heating.

Abstract: A fiber-reinforced resin material laminate 1 is provided with the following: a fiber-reinforced resin material 2 in which a fiber bundle group formed of a plurality of fiber bundles is impregnated with a matrix resin composition; and a first carrier sheet 3 and a second carrier sheet 4 which form a pair and sandwich the fiber-reinforced resin material 2 therebetween, with a mark 5 being provided on a surface 4a of the second carrier sheet 4. In a manufacturing method for the fiber-reinforced resin material laminate 1, during an impregnation step, the fiber-reinforced resin material 2 is formed in a state of being sandwiched between the first carrier sheet 3 and the second carrier sheet 4, and thereafter, the mark 5 is provided by marking the surface 4a of the second carrier sheet 4.

Abstract: Provided is a fiber-reinforced resin material molding in which fluctuations of the dispersion state of the fiber bundle in the molding is small, the generation of a resin pool is suppressed, and fluctuations in physical properties such as tensile strength and modulus of elasticity are suppressed; a method for manufacturing the same; and a method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin material. Provided is a fiber-reinforced resin material molding comprising: a fiber bundle prepared by bundling a plurality of reinforcing fibers; and a matrix resin, wherein a coefficient of variation in fiber content of the reinforcing fibers per unit zone of 0.1 mm square on a cut face along a thickness direction is 40% or less.

Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin molding material having excellent productivity at low cost for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin molded article having excellent strength properties. Provided is a method for manufacturing a sheet-shaped fiber-reinforced resin molding material containing a plurality of cut fiber bundles and a resin impregnated between filaments of the cut fiber bundles, the method comprising an integrated material manufacturing step for obtaining an integrated material by collecting a sheet-shaped fiber bundle aggregate obtained by arranging and spreading a plurality of consecutive fiber bundles in a width direction.

Abstract: One mode of the invention relates to a producing device for chopped fiber bundles comprising: cutting means including a cutting blade for cutting long fiber bundles, guide means for restricting the travel direction of the fiber bundles to be supplied to the cutting means, and widening means provided between the cutting means and the guide means and for widening the fiber bundles; and a producing method for chopped fiber bundles comprising: widening fiber bundles by widening means provided between a cutting means and guide means while restricting the travel direction of the long fiber bundles to be supplied to the cutting means by the guide means, and obtaining chopped fiber bundles by cutting the fiber bundles with the cutting means including a cutting blade.

Abstract: Provided are a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin molding material by which, when the fiber-reinforced resin molding material is manufactured, separated fiber bundles can be supplied to a cutting machine in stable condition while avoiding the influence of meandering of the fiber bundles or slanting or meandering of filaments occurring in the fiber bundles.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a porous electrode substrate with greater sheet strength, lower production cost, and excellent gas permeability and conductivity as well as its manufacturing method are provided. Also provided are a precursor sheet for forming such a substrate, and a membrane electrode assembly and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell containing such a substrate. The method for manufacturing such a porous electrode substrate includes the following steps [1]˜[3]: [1] a step for manufacturing a sheet material in which short carbon fibers (A) are dispersed; [2] a step for manufacturing a precursor sheet by adding a water-soluble phenolic resin and/or water-dispersible phenolic resin to the sheet material; and [3] a step for carbonizing the precursor sheet at a temperature of 1000° C. or higher.

Abstract: A carbon-fiber-precursor acrylic fiber bundle which can smoothly pass through a flame-resistance impartation step and a carbonization step. The carbon-fiber-precursor acrylic fiber bundle has a high-density part as a portion thereof, wherein the high-density part satisfies the following requirements (A) and (B). Requirement A: The high-density part has a maximum fiber density ?max of 1.33 g/cm3 or higher. Requirement B: The portion extending between an intermediate-density point and a maximum-density-region arrival point has an increase in fiber density of 1.3×10?2 g/cm3 or less per 10 mm of the fiber bundle length.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a porous electrode substrate with greater sheet strength, lower production cost, and excellent gas permeability and conductivity as well as its manufacturing method are provided. Also provided are a precursor sheet for forming such a substrate, and a membrane electrode assembly and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell containing such a substrate. The method for manufacturing such a porous electrode substrate includes the following steps [1]˜[3]: [1] a step for manufacturing a sheet material in which short carbon fibers (A) are dispersed; [2] a step for manufacturing a precursor sheet by adding a water-soluble phenolic resin and/or water-dispersible phenolic resin to the sheet material; and [3] a step for carbonizing the precursor sheet at a temperature of 1000° C. or higher.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a prepreg which contains reinforcing fibers and a matrix resin composition with the weight per square meter of the reinforcing fibers being 250-2,000 g/m2. The production method comprises the following steps (1)-(3): (1) a matrix resin composition blending step for obtaining a matrix resin composition by mixing an epoxy resin, a radically polymerizable unsaturated compound, an epoxy resin curing agent and a polymerization initiator that generates radicals, in said step the content of the radically polymerizable unsaturated compound relative to 100% by mass of the total of the epoxy resin and the radically polymerizable unsaturated compound being 10-25% by mass; (2) a matrix resin composition impregnating step; and (3) a surface viscosity increasing step.

Abstract: A method for producing a prepreg, includes: preparing a reinforcing fiber sheet containing multiple reinforcing fiber bundles, a matrix resin composition, first and second release sheets, and elastic members; forming a prepreg precursor by providing the matrix resin composition on the reinforcing fiber sheet; sandwiching the prepreg precursor between the first and second release sheets so that first surfaces of the first and second release sheets make contact with the prepreg precursor and that the first and second release sheets respectively include extended portions that protrude outward from both edges of the prepreg precursor in a width direction; positioning the elastic members to face the extended portions of the second release sheet and to make contact with the second surface of the second release sheet; and compressing the prepreg precursor, first and second release sheets and the elastic members all at once in a thickness direction of the prepreg precursor.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a porous electrode substrate with greater sheet strength, lower production cost, and excellent gas permeability and conductivity as well as its manufacturing method are provided. Also provided are a precursor sheet for forming such a substrate, and a membrane electrode assembly and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell containing such a substrate. The method for manufacturing such a porous electrode substrate includes the following steps [1]˜[3]: [1] a step for manufacturing a sheet material in which short carbon fibers (A) are dispersed; [2] a step for manufacturing a precursor sheet by adding a water-soluble phenolic resin and/or water-dispersible phenolic resin to the sheet material; and [3] a step for carbonizing the precursor sheet at a temperature of 1000° C. or higher.

Abstract: This prepreg comprises reinforcing fibers and a matrix resin composition. The matrix resin composition comprises at least an epoxy resin (component (A)), a radical polymerizable unsaturated compound (component (B)), and a polymer formed by radical polymerization of the component (B) (component (E)).

Abstract: Provided is a carbon-fiber-precursor acrylic fiber bundle which can smoothly pass through a flame-resistance impartation step and a carbonization step. The carbon-fiber-precursor acrylic fiber bundle has a high-density part as a portion thereof, wherein the high-density part satisfies the following requirements (A) and (B). Requirement A: The high-density part has a maximum fiber density ?max of 1.33 g/cm3 or higher. Requirement B: The portion extending between an intermediate-density point and a maximum-density-region arrival point has an increase in fiber density of 1.3×10?2 g/cm3 or less per 10 mm of the fiber bundle length. The term “intermediate-density point” means the site which has a density ?m that is intermediate between the fiber density ?o of the non-high-density part and the maximum fiber density ?max. The term “maximum-density-region arrival point” means the site Pr at which the increase in fiber density per 10 mm of the fiber bundle length becomes 1.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a prepreg which contains reinforcing fibers and a matrix resin composition with the weight per square meter of the reinforcing fibers being 250-2,000 g/m2. The production method comprises the following steps (1)-(3): (1) a matrix resin composition blending step for obtaining a matrix resin composition by mixing an epoxy resin, a radically polymerizable unsaturated compound, an epoxy resin curing agent and a polymerization initiator that generates radicals, in said step the content of the radically polymerizable unsaturated compound relative to 100% by mass of the total of the epoxy resin and the radically polymerizable unsaturated compound being 10-25% by mass; (2) a matrix resin composition impregnating step; and (3) a surface viscosity increasing step.

Abstract: Disclosed is a production system (1) for a carbon fiber thread (Z) by continuously subjecting a carbon fiber thread precursor (X) having a jointed portion (a) connecting respective ends of two carbon fiber thread precursors (X) to heat treatment, which contains an oxidization oven (10) for subjecting the carbon fiber thread precursor (X) to an oxidization treatment, a carbonization furnace (12) for subjecting a thus obtained oxidized fiber thread to a carbonization treatment, a winder (18) for winding the carbon fiber thread (Z) around a winding bobbin, a detection means (24) for detecting the jointed portion (a), a positional information-acquisition means (26) for acquiring positional information of the jointed portion (a), a control means (28) for controlling the winder (18) in such a way that a carbon fiber thread including the jointed portion (a) and a carbon fiber thread not including the jointed portion (a) are separately wound up around different winding bobbins based on the positional information.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a porous electrode substrate with greater sheet strength, lower production cost, and excellent gas permeability and conductivity as well as its manufacturing method are provided. Also provided are a precursor sheet for forming such a substrate, and a membrane electrode assembly and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell containing such a substrate. The method for manufacturing such a porous electrode substrate includes the following steps [1]˜[3]: [1] a step for manufacturing a sheet material in which short carbon fibers (A) are dispersed; [2] a step for manufacturing a precursor sheet by adding a water-soluble phenolic resin and/or water-dispersible phenolic resin to the sheet material; and [3] a step for carbonizing the precursor sheet at a temperature of 1000° C. or higher.

Abstract: Disclosed is a production system (1) for a carbon fiber thread (Z) by continuously subjecting a carbon fiber thread precursor (X) having a jointed portion (a) connecting respective ends of two carbon fiber thread precursors (X) to heat treatment, which contains an oxidization oven (10) for subjecting the carbon fiber thread precursor (X) to an oxidization treatment, a carbonization furnace (12) for subjecting a thus obtained oxidized fiber thread to a carbonization treatment, a winder (18) for winding the carbon fiber thread (Z) around a winding bobbin, a detection means (24) for detecting the jointed portion (a), a positional information-acquisition means (26) for acquiring positional information of the jointed portion (a), a control means (28) for controlling the winder (18) in such a way that a carbon fiber thread including the jointed portion (a) and a carbon fiber thread not including the jointed portion (a) are separately wound up around different winding bobbins based on the positional information.