Manufacture of carbon fiber reinforcing composite material

PURPOSE: To realize the uniform infiltration of resin in carbon fiber bundle, satisfactory removal of voids and make it possible to manufacture strong composite material at high productivity by a method wherein carbon fiber is high frequency induction-heated from its periphery. CONSTITUTION: Thermosetting resin such as epoxy resin is adhered to carbon fiber 1 by immersing the carbon fiber 1 in a resin bath 2 or blasting resin powder to the carbon fiber. By passing the resultant fiber in the coil of a high frequency wave generating device 3 just before a rotary mandrel, heat is generated in the carbon fiber itself, resulting in uniformly infiltrating the resin. As the condition of the high frequency induction heating, wavelength (λ), output (W), the number of turns of the coil, the distance between the carbon fiber and the coil and the like are set so as to realize the temperature of the carbon fiber of 50-80°C. By winding the resin-impregnated carbon fiber bundle under the conditions that the rotational frequency of the mandrel is set to be 100-150rpm, its traverse speed is set to be 30-50m/min, its forward and backward motion speed is set to be 30-50m/min and the like, round the mandrel 5 under tension, the lamination having arbitrary thickness is obtained. COPYRIGHT: (C)1993,JPO&Japio