Abstract: A hydrostatic compression method for producing a fancy log with a decorative and complicated external appearance from a primary wood. In the method, a primary wood having a water content adjusted in the range of 10-80 wt % is brought into a softened state, then the softened wood is compressed with hydrostatic pressure by means of liquid as pressurizing medium. Next, the compressed wood is treated with a fixation means to fix the compressed state. The fixation means can be a shaping jig, a mold, heating in a particular temperature range conducted while constraining the volume relation of compressed wood, cooling down below the softening point of the wood while under pressure, compact-packing together with hard particles into a vessel followed by heating, or a primary wood is chemically treated to form a localized wood-plastics composite before applying hydrostatic compression.

Abstract: A method of impregnating wood with liquid puts the wood in a pressure vessel, immerses the wood in the liquid contained in the pressure vessel, pressurizes the liquid to compress the wood while keeping the temperature of the wood at or above the softening point of the wood, and reduces pressure in the pressure vessel so that the wood may cause volume relaxation in the liquid and be impregnated with the liquid.

Abstract: Disclosed is a microcapsule-type curing agent comprising (A) a curing agent for a thermosetting resin and (B) a thermoplastic resin dissolvable to the thermosetting resin by heating. The microcapsule-type curing agent is formed as a particle-like material in which the component (A) is coated with a layer whose main constituent is the component (B) and the mean particle diameter of which is in the range of 0.1 to 20 .mu.m. By using the microcapsule-type curing agent, a thermosetting resin composition and a prepreg which are good in storage stability at a room temperature and excellent in thermal resistance of a cured product made therefrom can be obtained. Further, a fiber reinforced composite material obtained using this thermosetting resin composition is excellent in curing uniformity and thermal resistance.

Abstract: A prepreg precursor including a carbon fiber woven fabric having applied to the fabric between about 0.5 to about 10 wt % of a stabilizer material for stabilizing the structural form of the fabric. Prepregs can then be produced using the woven fabric. Undesired settlement of matrix resin from the surface of the woven fabric is thus prevented. Hence, compared with a prepreg prepared using conventional woven fabric, a prepreg prepared by using the woven fabric of the invention can hold its tackiness for a long time and can be used to produce a fiber reinforced composite material excellent in smoothness without being devoid of surface resin.

Abstract: Disclosed is a microcapsule curing agent including (A) a curing agent for a thermosetting resin and (B) a thermoplastic resin. The microcapsule curing agent is formed as a particle-like material in which component (A) is coated with a layer whose main constituent is component (B) and the mean particle diameter of which is in the range of 0.1 to 20 .mu.m. By using the microcapsule curing agent, a thermosetting resin composition and a prepreg which exhibit good storage stability at room temperature and are excellent in thermal resistance for cured products made therefrom can be obtained. A fiber reinforced composite material obtained using the thermosetting resin composition is excellent in curing uniformity and thermal resistance.

Abstract: A thermoplastic composite plate material having a quasi isotropy comprises a thermoplastic resin having a melt viscosity of 1,000-15,000 poise and strip pieces each constructed of unidirectionally orientated reinforcing fibers and each having the specific dimensions of the thickness, the width, the length and the ratio of the width and the length thereof. The strip pieces are randomly distributed in plane parallel to a surface of the composite plate material. Since the composite plate material has good quasi-isotropic and high mechanical properties such as flexural strength, flexural modulus and impact strength, a composite product having good quasi-isotropic and high mechanical properties can be obtained by using the composite plate materials. Moreover, since the composite plate material has a good fittability, a composite product having a complicated shape can be easily molded.

Abstract: The aliphatic copolyesteramide having high degree of polymerization, is prepared by heating a mixture of (A) ester-forming components comprising (a) aliphatic diols and (b) aliphatic dicarboxylic acids and (B) amide-forming components comprising at least one component selected from the group consisting of (a) aliphatic .omega.-aminocarboxylic acids and (b) equimolar salt of (.alpha.) aliphatic diamines and (.beta.) aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, at temperatures of about 150.degree. to 260.degree. C., substantially under an atmospheric pressure, in the presence of catalyst and in the substantially absence of water, and subsequently heating the resulting esterified product at temperatures of about 200.degree. to 300.degree. C. under a reduced pressure. The obtained copolyesteramide can be formed into various molded articles, such as tubing, having excellent flexibility, toughness, shapability, chemical resistance, heat resistance, hydrolysis resistance and fatigue resistance.

Abstract: A photosensitive resin composition comprising a polyamide containing 10 to 70% by weight of a polyoxyethylene segment or poly(oxyethylene/oxypropylene) copolymer segment having a number average molecular weight of from 150 to 1,500 in its molecular chain, and a photopolymerizable unsaturated compound. This composition exhibits excellent flexibility and water- and alcohol-developability, and results in a printing plate exhibiting excellent transparency, toughness and printing durability.

Abstract: A highly rigid poly-.epsilon.-caproamide composition containing about 50 to 5000 ppm of barium combined with the poly-.epsilon.-caproamide, and having a .gamma.-type crystal ratio of about 0.3 to 0.7 is disclosed. The polyamide has improved rigidity without loss of other advantageous mechanical properties of poly-.epsilon.-caprolactam. By addition of an aluminum compound, the rigidity of the composition can be further improved. A bisamide compound may be added to provide excellent mold release without harming the mechanical properties of the composition.

Abstract: A novel copolyamide is obtained by copolymerizing a three-component system comprising .epsilon.-caprolactam; a salt of hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid; and a salt of 1,3-cyclohexanebis (methylamine) and adipic acid, in the specified proportions shown in the drawing.The copolyamide is easily soluble in lower aliphatic alcohols and has good transparency. Solutions of the copolyamide in alcohol have superior stability.