| abstract |
Binder coated fibres comprising from 80 to 99 % by weight reinforcing fibres and from 1 to 20 % by weight of a preform binder resin, said binder resin being in the form of particles or discrete areas on the surface of the reinforcing fibres, said binder resin comprising: from 40 to 90 % by weight of the binder resin of a thermosetting resin and from 10 to 60 % by weight of the binder resin of a high molecular weight engineering thermoplastic and/or an elastomer selected from vinyl addition polymer, fluororelastomers and polysiloxane elastomers, the engineering thermoplastic/elastomer being dissolved in the thermosetting resin, the binder resin being non-tacky at ambient temperature, having a softening point in the range 50 to 150 °C and being heat curable at a temperature in the range 50 to 200 °C. |