Ppg Industries, Inc.

Edward A Martine

Thomas P Unites

Thomas V Thimons

Jian Meng

David E Dana

Steven J Morris

The present invention provides a mat adapted to reinforce a thermosetting matrix material to form a composite, composites formed therefrom, and methods related thereto. The mat includes a primary, supporting layer having a plurality of randomly oriented essentially continuous glass fiber strands. The primary layer has about 1 to about 10 weight percent of the mat on a total solids basis. The mat also includes a secondary layer positioned upon and supported by a surface of the primary layer, the secondary layer including a plurality of glass fiber strands. The mean average length of the glass fiber strands of the secondary layer ranges from about 20 to about 125 millimeters. The strands of the primary layer are entangled with the strands of the secondary layer by needling the primary layer and the secondary layer together.

Glass fiber strand mats, thermosetting composites reinforced with the

A needled mat adapted to reinforce a thermoplastic matrix material to form a composite, the mat including: (a) a plurality of discontinuous glass monofilaments present in an amount ranging from at least about 30 weight percent to about 99 weight percent of the mat on a total solids basis and having a filament coating composition thereon which is compatible with a thermoplastic matrix material; and (b) a plurality of discontinuous glass fiber strands and having a strand coating composition thereon which is compatible with the thermoplastic matrix material, wherein the glass monofilaments and glass fiber strands are essentially uniformly distributed throughout the mat.

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Edward A Martine