Method of producing molded resin article

Abstract

A method of forming a composite material involves feeding materials to a kneader, kneading the materials, and injecting them from the kneader into a mold. The kneader is formed by a screw-type extruder having an ejection outlet at one end for extrusion into the mold. Various input ports are located axially along the extruder. Materials are fed into the kneader beginning at the inlet port most remote from the outlet end and proceeding successively to the inlet port nearest the outlet end. The materials are fed in successive order from those with the highest viscosity and lowest reactivity relative to the materials with the highest reactivity and lowest viscosity. For example, thermoplastic is fed to the inlet most remote from the outlet, and thermosetting resin is fed to the inlet nearest the outlet. In another aspect of the invention, in which thermoplastic and thermosetting resins are employed in roughly comparable amounts, an 'island-in-sea' structure is desired. This structure is achieved by agglomerating thermoplastic material having a particle diameter of 0.05-0.5 .mu.m into particles of 10-1000 .mu.m diameter prior to kneading, then introducing the thermoplastic material into the kneader. The thermoset material is then added from least reactive and most viscous to most reactive and least viscous.