Fibre-reinforced composite moulding and manufacture thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a moulding material ( 100 ) comprising at least one dry fibrous reinforcement layer ( 102, 103 ) having a surface resin material ( 106 ) conjoined to a first surface thereo and a structural resin material ( 101 ) conjoined to a second surface thereof wherein the structural resin material is provided with a recess ( 107 ) which is free from resin and is located at the edge of the structural resin layer ( 101 ) and wherein the dry fibrous reinforcement layer ( 102, 103 ) provides a venting structure to allow entrapped air to pass out during processing. The material of the present invention can be used to form a composite which can be used as surface coating for large components such as wind turbines.

1 . A moulding material comprising at least one dry fibrous reinforcement layer having a surface resin material layer conjoined to a first surface thereof and a structural resin material layer conjoined to a second surface thereof, wherein an elongate edge of the structural resin material layer is located inwardly of an adjacent elongate edge of at least the surface resin material layer to provide a stepped configuration in which the structural resin material is provided with a stepped recess which is free from resin and is located at the edge of the structural resin layer. 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . A moulding material as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the dry fibrous reinforcement layer adjacent to the structural resin material layer has an elongate edge aligned with the elongate edge of the structural resin material whereby the stepped configuration is provided with a stepped recess of the said dry fibrous reinforcement layer having the same dimensions as the stepped recess of the structural resin material. 
     
     
         6 . A moulding material as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the structural resin material and the surface resin material have a different viscosity. 
     
     
         7 . A moulding material as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the viscosity of the structural resin material is selected to be higher than that of the surface resin material at room temperature. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A moulding material as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the surface resin material layer is air permeable. 
     
     
         10 . A moulding material as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the thickness of the surface resin material layer is 100-400 microns. 
     
     
         11 . A moulding material as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the thickness of the surface resin material layer is 170-270 microns. 
     
     
         12 . A moulding material as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the surface resin material layer is provided with a layer of scrim material. 
     
     
         13 . A moulding material as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the scrim layer is a polyester material. 
     
     
         14 . A moulding material according to  claim 13  wherein the scrim layer is a polyester spun bonded scrim material. 
     
     
         15 . A moulding material according to  claim 1  wherein the layer of scrim material is located at or proximal to a first face of the surface resin material layer that is conjoined to the at least one dry fibrous reinforcement layer so that a majority of the surface resin material is between the layer of scrim material and a second, free, surface of the surface resin material. 
     
     
         16 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A moulding material as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the width of the stepped recess is 10-75 mm. 
     
     
         22 . A moulding material as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the width of the stepped recess is 20-40 mm. 
     
     
         23 . A moulding material as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the stepped recess extends along the length of an elongate edge of the moulding material. 
     
     
         24 . A composite material which comprises an assembly of a plurality of moulding materials according to  claim 1 , the assembly comprising a continuous array of the moulding materials, the peripheral edge of each moulding material contacting an adjacent moulding material of the array and the surface resin material layers being arranged on a common face of the assembly, wherein the composite material is assembled by overlapping the plurality of moulding materials such that an elongate edge of one moulding material is received in the stepped recess of an adjacent moulding material whereby the surface resin material layer of the one moulding material is conjoined to the dry fibrous reinforcement layer of the adjacent moulding material. 
     
     
         25 - 53 . (canceled) 
     
     
         54 . A fibre-reinforced composite moulding comprising a surface portion laminated to a structural portion, the surface portion being formed of a surfacing layer comprising a plurality of surfacing layer segments moulded together to form a continuous surfacing layer, the surfacing layer comprising a first cured resin material supported on a carrier of a sheet material, and the structural portion being formed from at least one layer of fibrous reinforcing material and a cured second resin material, at least one layer of the fibrous reinforcing material being formed of a plurality of segments each of which overlies a respective surfacing layer segment, and each surfacing layer segment overlapping an adjacent segment of the fibrous reinforcing material. 
     
     
         55 . A fibre-reinforced composite moulding according to  claim 54 , wherein the overlap between adjacent surfacing layer segments has a width of from 10 to 75 mm. 
     
     
         56 . (canceled) 
     
     
         57 . A fibre-reinforced composite moulding according to  claim 54 , wherein the surfacing layer segments overlap on opposing edges. 
     
     
         58 . A fibre-reinforced composite moulding according to  claim 54 , wherein the first resin material of the surfacing layer has a thickness of from 100 to 300 microns. 
     
     
         59 . A fibre-reinforced composite moulding according to  claim 54 , wherein the sheet material of the surfacing layer is located nearer to an interface between the surface portion and the structural portion that to an opposite exposed surface of the surface 
     
     
         60 . A fibre-reinforced composite moulding according to  claim 54 , wherein the sheet material of the surfacing layer has a weight of from 10 to 90 gsm. 
     
     
         61 - 63 . (canceled) 
     
     
         64 . A fibre-reinforced composite moulding according to  claim 54  wherein the sheet material of the surfacing layer comprises a polyester spun bonded scrim material. 
     
     
         65 - 68 . (canceled)