Method for production of composite material and composite material

Abstract

A method for the production of a completely impregnated composite material having the surface thereof coated with a thermosetting resin and essentially consisting of a thermoplastic resin matrix including minute voids filled with a thermosetting resin and reinforcing fibers, which method comprises setting in place a roller and a collecting section disposed in the direction of the rotation of the roller, rotating the roller, feeding thermoplastic resin fibers and reinforcing fibers to the roller, causing the roller to throw a uniform mixture of the two types of fibers onto the collecting section, thereby forming a composite mat of the uniform mixture on the collecting section, then thermally compressing the composite mat and further solidifying the compressed composite mat by cooling and forming a composite material of the shape of a plate, further heating the composite material, thereby melting and expanding the thermoplastic resin forming the matrix, then cooling the expanded composite material, thereby forming a foam composite material including minute voids, and subsequently causing a thermosetting resin to form a coating on the surface of the foam composite material and fill the minute voids in the composite material, a method for the production of a coated composite material by the removal of the thermosetting resin filling the minute voids in the composite material obtained by the method described above, and a coated type or completely impregnated composite material produced by the method described above, consisting of a matrix formed of thermoplastic resin and reinforcing fibers, having a thermosetting resin attached to the surface thereof, the matrix including minute voids, and the voids being filled or not filled with a thermosetting resin.