The Dow Chemical Company

Dow-united Technologies Composite Products, Inc.

Ronald David Gross

Curt Goodwyn Wilkinson

Brett David Kushner

Mark Oldham

A pliable tackified tow comprises a plurality of fibers having a tackifier present at about 1-15 per cent by weight uniformly distributed among the fibers. The tackifier is a solid material which has been fractured through fiber displacement such, as by physical bending, to produce a fiber tow that is pliable. The pliable tackified tow can be used in braiding, weaving, or filament winding operations to produce dry fabric which contains a tackifier between the individual fibers such that preforms produced using the tackified tow can be readily shaped and hardened to retain that shape prior to molding.

Pliable tackified fiber tow and method of producing same

A fiber filler for filling voids between mated fiber plies, for example, as occurs in the preparation of a preform assembly for forming a T-shaped structural member, is disclosed. The fiber filler comprises a plurality of unidirectional fibers, shaped to conform to the shape of the void and a stabilizer intermingled with the unidirectional fibers. The stabilizer is present in an amount sufficient to hold the fibers together in the shape of the void, but below an amount which would inhibit resin flow during subsequent injection, so that the fiber filler is fully integrated into the final part.

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Storrs, CT, United States of America

Ronald David Gross