Patent Description:
Fiber reinforced composite materials including reinforcement fiber compounded with a matrix resin have good features such as lightweightness, good mechanical properties, high dimensional stability, and the like and therefore, they have been widely used in such fields including transportation equipment such as aircraft, electrical and electronic instruments, sporting goods, and building materials. In general, products using fiber-reinforced composite materials are coated by coating or the like with the aim of enhancing surface protection and designability.

As a method for coating fiber reinforced composite materials, Patent document <NUM> discloses a technique to form a coat film containing a light interference pigment over the surface of a molded article of a fiber reinforced composite material. Patent document <NUM> discloses a method for producing a colored fiber reinforced composite material by forming a gel coat on a mold and putting a preform of a fiber reinforced composite material on it, followed by curing. Patent document <NUM> discloses a method that does not require a coating step to produce a highly weather resistant fiber reinforced composite material by covering the surface with a thermosetting resin sheet containing an ultraviolet absorbent. Patent document <NUM> discloses a method for producing a colored fiber reinforced composite material by attaching a thermoplastic resin film-like coloring material to a fiber reinforced resin preform and molding it by heating and pressing. Patent Document <NUM> discloses a method in which a coat layer is formed on the surface of a prepreg using crosslinked resin particles and the prepreg is laminated and molded by heating and pressing. Patent Document <NUM> disclosed a method in which a patterning sheet is put on a molding composition, followed by heating and pressing to produce a molded article having a pattern on the surface.

As described above, various methods for applying a coating to a fiber reinforced composite material have been studied. However, although the method of applying a coating to a molded article of a fiber-reinforced composite material as disclosed in Patent Document <NUM> can produce a molded article having excellent appearance, it has the disadvantage that a step of molding the fiber reinforced composite material and a step of curing the coating film are separately required and that the process is complicated because the coating step requires multiple stages for polishing the material surface, various washing operations, degreasing with solvents, and sequential application of a clear primer, coloring paint, and clear paint. Similarly, the method of applying a gel coat to a mold as disclosed in Patent document <NUM> has the disadvantage of requiring a complicated process containing steps for spraying a gel coating to the mold and washing the mold although it has the advantage that the gel coat layer and the preform of a fiber reinforced composite material can be cured simultaneously.

The method disclosed in Patent document <NUM>, which uses a thermosetting resin sheet, has the disadvantage that the effect of the ultraviolet absorber cannot be realized sufficiently because a flow of the thermosetting resin during curing causes the ultraviolet absorber to move to the interior of the reinforcement fiber in the prepreg to make it impossible for the ultraviolet absorber to be present densely near the surface of the molded article, in spite of the advantage that a coating step is unnecessary to allow a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer to be prepared easily. The method disclosed in Patent document <NUM> can produce a fiber reinforced composite material having a colored coat layer with a constant film thickness by attaching a film-like colored base material of a thermoplastic resin to the surface of a prepreg that contains a thermosetting resin as matrix resin. However, depending on the combination of the thermoplastic resin and the thermosetting resin used as matrix resin, there can be a disadvantage that the thermoplastic resin film that forms the coat layer fails to be sufficiently adhered and suffers from peeling off.

Although the method disclosed in Patent document <NUM> can produce a coat layer on the surface of a molded article of a fiber reinforced composite material by using crosslinked resin particles, the method aims main to prevent a unidirectional carbon fiber prepreg from having an uneven appearance and cannot serve sufficiently to suppress the sinking of crosslinked resin particles into the reinforcement fiber that is attributed to a resin flow during the molding step and consequently, the surface of the resulting molded article of the fiber reinforced composite material shows a mottled pattern and fails to have an appearance of good design.

In Patent document <NUM>, the surface of a pattern layer is laminated with a reinforcing sheet to prevent breakage of the pattern layer, and a shielding mat is added to prevent the molding material, such as SMC, from flowing into the pattern layer during molding. This method serves to prevent breakage of the pattern layer and deformation of the pattern during conveyance or molding. However, it has the disadvantage that the formation of the pattern layer is realized through a multi-step process containing coating, coating, drying, and curing and in addition, the formation of a shielding mat requires a semi-curing step after a thermosetting resin impregnation step, further complicating the process. For preventing the passage of the molding material, furthermore, additional techniques are used to increase the thickness of the shielding mat and fill the voids with a thermosetting resin, followed further by a semi-curing step, resulting in an increase in the weight of molded articles and degradation of their mechanical properties. Patent document <NUM> discloses a production method for a fiber reinforced composite material as well as a preform comprising a prepreg layer.

In view of the above problem with the conventional technology, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a fiber reinforced composite material having a highly processable coat layer (for the present invention, the simple term "resin layer" refers a resin layer before undergoing a curing step, whereas a resin layer after undergoing a curing step is defined as a cured resin layer and the cured resin layer that forms the outermost layer of a molded article is defined as a coat layer).

In the study for the present invention, when a resin layer composed of a thermosetting resin and a pigment was spread over a prepreg composed of a reinforcement fiber and a thermosetting resin, followed by curing, there occurred a problem of drifting of the reinforcement fiber during the molding step, resulting in a coat layer with a decreased thickness. The main feature of the present invention is to depress the drifting of the reinforcement fiber in the thickness direction during a step in which the curing of a resin layer and the curing of a fiber reinforced composite material are performed simultaneously, so that the decrease in thickness of the resin layer is depressed to ensure the formation of a coat layer with an intended thickness.

The present invention adopts the following constitution to solve the problem described above.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a production method for a fiber reinforced composite material having excellent processability to ensure reduction in the number of working steps and shortening of the processing time, while suppressing the reduction in the thickness of the resin layer on the surface of the resulting molded article that is attributed to drifting of the reinforcement fiber during the molding step.

The invention is described in detail below.

For producing a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer at the surface, the present invention uses a preform that includes at least one or more prepreg ply and a resin layer (II) stacked thereon and containing a solid additive (C). As a result, a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer can be produced in a simpler manner as compared to the case where a molded article is produced first from a prepreg followed by forming a coat layer by coating.

The preform is a laminate of a prepreg layer (I) containing a reinforcement fiber (A) and a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and a resin layer (II) containing a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and a solid additive (C).

For the preform to be used for the present invention, the resin layer (II) has a thickness of <NUM> or more and <NUM> or less in order to ensure that the cured resin layer (II') obtained after the curing step will have a thickness as described later. If the thickness is less than <NUM>, an outflow of the resin from the preform may occur during the molding step and have a large effect resulting even in the failure to form a coat layer. Also, a thickness of more than <NUM> will not have a significant effect for producing a coat layer with an increased thickness. The thickness of the resin layer (II) is more preferably <NUM> or more and <NUM> or less. Here, when the preform according to the present invention contains a plurality of resin layers (II) (for example, when a resin layer (II) is present on each of the two surfaces of the prepreg layer (I)), the term "thickness of the resin layer (II)" refers to the thickness of each resin layer (II) separately, and at least one resin layer (II) present on either surface of the preform preferably has a thickness in the range given above. It is more preferable for each of the two resin layers (II) present on both surfaces to have a thickness in the range given above.

A fiber reinforced composite material with the surface covered with a coat layer constituted of a cured resin layer (II') can be produced by curing the preform. A variety of generally known methods are available for molding a fiber reinforced composite material using a prepreg containing reinforcement fibers impregnated with a thermosetting resin in an uncured or semicured state. In a preferred method, for instance, prepreg sheets are cut to a predetermined size, and a resin layer (II) as described above is formed on at least part of the surface of a sheet or a laminate of a predetermined number of sheets, followed by heat-cured under a pressure.

Such heat-curing of a preform under a pressure can be carried out by any appropriate method that can perform pressure molding under heat, such as autoclave molding, press molding, vacuum molding, air-pressure molding, and vacuum pressure molding. Of these, press molding and vacuum molding have been preferred because of small equipment cost, simple operation, high molding speed, and suitability for mass production.

The temperature for heat-curing a preform should be set appropriately depending on the combination of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) to be used, but it is usually in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. The use of an appropriate molding temperature makes it possible to obtain an adequate fast curing rate and depress the generation of warp due to thermal strain.

When a fiber reinforced composite material is produced by press molding, the molding pressure is normally in the range of <NUM> to <NUM> MPa depending on the thickness, Wf (weight content of reinforcement fiber), or the like of the material being molded. A molding pressure in this range allows the resulting fiber reinforced composite material to be free of defects such as voids and makes it possible to produce a fiber reinforced composite material free of warp or other size variations.

In a fiber reinforced composite material as produced above, the coat layer, i.e., the cured resin layer (II') present at the outer surface of the molded article, preferably has an average thickness T of <NUM> or more and <NUM> or less. The solid additive (C) will perform the functions described later very effectively when the coat layer has an average thickness T of <NUM> or more. On the other hand, the thickness has little effect on the performance of the functions if the thickness is increased to above <NUM>. The average thickness T of a coat layer as referred to herein is determined by observing a cross section of a molded article by a microscope, measuring the distance between the surface and the reinforcement fiber in the molded article at <NUM> points, and calculating the average of the distance measurements. When a cured cloth prepreg is to be examined, a strand in which the fibers stand perpendicular to the surface under observation is selected, and after dividing the strand into three parts, the central region is observed.

For the present invention, a preform is a laminate of a prepreg layer (I) containing a reinforcement fiber (A) and a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and a resin layer (II) containing a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and a solid additive (C), as described above.

It is preferable for the resin layer (II) to contain inorganic filler (D) or a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) that acts as spacer. Here, a continuous hole as referred to for the present invention means a continuous through-hole. A through-hole means a hole penetrating at least from one surface to the other surface, and continuous through-holes are such through-holes connected to each other to form a three dimensionally communicating structure. The addition of inorganic filler particles of a specific size or a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes of a specific shape to the resin layer (II) serves to depress the drifting of the reinforcement fiber into the resin layer (II) and prevent the resin layer (II) from thinning during the molding step.

In the case of a resin layer (II) in which a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes are contained as spacer, the continuous holes in the porous sheet-like base material (E) preferably has a hole diameter Le that meets the relation of Le < Lc where Lc is the average of the longest diameters across the primary particles of the solid additive (C). If the hole diameter Le meets this requirement, the passage of the solid additive (C) through the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) can be controlled so that the solid additive (C) in the resin layer (II) is localized in the region on the preform surface side or in the region on the prepreg layer (I) side from the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) or so that it is allocated at a desired ratio between the region on the preform surface side and the region on the prepreg layer side (I) from the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E). In particular, it is preferable for the solid additive (C) to be localized near the surface of the resin layer (II) opposite to that faces the prepreg layer (I). If the solid additive (C) is localized near the surface while the porous sheet-like base material (E) is localized near the prepreg layer (I) (accordingly, the porous sheet-like base material (E) is present nearer to the prepreg layer (I) than the solid additive (C)), it is preferable because the solid additive (C) can be localized near the surface of the coat layer in the molded article, i.e., the cured resin layer (II') produced by the curing step, which serves for effective performance of functions.

A fiber reinforced composite material may be produced by using a preform composed of a prepreg layer (I) containing a reinforcement fiber (A) and a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), a resin layer (II) containing a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and a solid additive (C), and a layer (III) of a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E') that is interposed therebetween. The use of a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes of a specific shape allows the layer (III) of a porous sheet-like base material (E') to act as a spacer and serves to depress the drifting of the reinforcement fiber into the resin layer (II) during molding, thus preventing the resin layer after molding from thinning. When the resin layer (II) contains a porous sheet-like base material (E) as spacer, the porous sheet-like base material (E') may be either the same as or different from the porous sheet-like base material (E).

In the case of a laminate of a prepreg layer (I) containing a reinforcement fiber (A) and a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), a resin layer (II) containing a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and a solid additive (C), and a layer (III) of a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E') that is interposed therebetween, the hole diameter Le' of the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E') preferably meets the relation of Le' < Lc where Lc is the average of the longest diameters across the primary particles of the solid additive (C). If the hole diameter Le' meets this requirement, it is preferable because the solid additive (C) can be prevented from passing through the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E') and allow the solid additive (C) to be localized near the surface of the coat layer in the molded article, i.e., the cured resin layer (II') produced by the curing step, thus serving for effective performance of functions.

Here, the hole diameters Le and Le' of the porous sheet-like base materials having continuous holes (E) and (E') are peak top values in the distributions obtained by the mercury intrusion method. On the other hand, the average of the longest diameters Lc across the primary particles of the solid additive (C) is determined by dispersing the solid additive (C) in water or an organic solvent and casting it on a slide glass to prepare a sample, which is observed by a microscope. The longest diameter across a particle of the solid additive (C) is measured at <NUM> points and the average is calculated.

The coat layer formed by curing the resin layer (II) in the preform is formed of a cured product of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and the solid additive (C). A coat layer produced by curing a preform containing a resin layer (II) that is composed of a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), a solid additive (C), and an inorganic filler (D) consists of the cured product of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), the solid additive (C), and the inorganic filler (D), whereas a coat layer produced by curing a preform containing a resin layer (II) that is composed of a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), a solid additive (C), and a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) consists of the cured product of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), the solid additive (C), and the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E). Compared to this, a coat layer produced by curing a preform containing a resin layer (II) composed of a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and a solid additive (C), a prepreg layer (I) stacked thereon, and a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E') interposed therebetween consists of the cured product of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), the solid additive (C), and the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E'). The localized existence of the solid additive (C) in the coat layer allows the solid additive (C) to perform its functions, which will be described later, effectively without being confined among reinforcement fibers. Here, the coat layer may contain the cured product of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>).

A resin base material that includes a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), a solid additive (C), and a spacer, which spacer is either an inorganic filler (D) or a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E), can be used as a resin base material component that is spread over the surface of a fiber reinforced preform and subjected to heating and molding together with the fiber reinforced preform. The use of such a resin base material serves to form a coat layer according to the present invention on any surface of an appropriate molded article. The term "fiber reinforced preform" typically refers to the prepreg layer (I) described previously, but it is not limited to this and may refer to any material that contains a reinforcement fiber and a matrix resin that can form the main part of a molded article. Here, the main part of a molded article refers to the part that constitutes the major portion of the molded article excluding the coat layer. For such a resin base material, furthermore, the preferred features of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), solid additive (C), and inorganic filler (D) or porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) are the same as those described above for the resin layer (II).

For the resin base material, the continuous holes in the porous sheet-like base material (E) preferably has a hole diameter Le that meets the relation of Le < Lc where Lc is the average of the longest diameters across the primary particles of the solid additive (C). If the hole diameter Le meets this requirement, the passage of the solid additive (C) through the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) can be controlled so that the solid additive (C) in the resin base material is localized in only one side of the resin base material or allocated at a desired ratio between two halves of the resin base material. In particular, it is preferable for the solid additive (C) in the resin base material to be localized only in one side of the resin base material so that the solid additive (C) is present near the opposite surface of the resin base material to that faces the fiber reinforced preform. Thus, the solid additive (C) will be localized near the surface of the resulting molded article while the porous sheet-like base material (E) will be localized near the fiber reinforced preform (accordingly, the porous sheet-like base material (E) is present nearer to the fiber reinforced preform than the solid additive (C)), which is preferable because the solid additive (C) can be localized near the surface of the coat layer in the molded article, i.e., the resin base material after being cured, to enable effective performance of functions.

For the present invention, the solid additive (C) is added with the aim of allowing the fiber reinforced composite material to have specific functions.

Such functions include, for example, design characteristics (such as colors, pearly appearance, and metallic appearance), electromagnetic shielding, electric conduction, fire retardance, and weather resistance.

Examples of the solid additive (C) that can develop design characteristics include pigments and glass beads. More specifically, they include organic pigments such as azo pigments and phthalocyanine blue; metal pigments of powder metals such as aluminum and brass; and inorganic pigments such as chrome oxide and cobalt blue. In particular, metal pigments and inorganic pigments are preferable from the viewpoint of heat resistance. When a dark colored material such as carbon fiber and aramid fiber is contained as reinforcement fiber, the use of a pigment having two or more layer structures that differ in refractive index has been preferred. Examples include natural mica, artificial mica, alumina flakes, silica flakes, and glass flakes cladded with titanium oxide or iron oxide. Such a layered structure works to develop colors attributed to optical phenomena such as interference, diffraction, and scattering of light in the visible light region. Optical phenomena such as interference, diffraction, or scattering of light serve for color development based on reflection of light with a specific wavelength and they are utilized favorably in materials that contain dark colored reinforcement fiber.

Examples of the solid additive (C) that serve for electromagnetic shielding and electric conduction include powder of metals such as silver, copper, and nickel, as well as ferrite and carbon black.

Examples of the solid additive (C) that can develop fire retardance include phosphorus compounds, antimony compounds, metal hydroxides, zinc compounds, and melamine cyanurate.

Examples of the solid additive (C) that can develop weather resistance include ultraviolet absorber and hindered amine based photostabilizers.

The average of the shortest diameters Lc1 across the primary particles of the solid additive (C) is preferably in the range of <NUM> or more and less than <NUM>. If it is in this range, the solid additive (C) can be localized in the coat layer without being confined among reinforcement fibers. The average of the shortest diameters Lc1 across the primary particles as referred to here is determined by dispersing the solid additive (C) in water or an organic solvent and casting it on a slide glass to prepare a sample, which is observed by a microscope. The difference in the depth of focus between the top face of the slide glass and the top face of the solid additive (C) is measured at <NUM> points and the average is calculated.

The particles of the solid additive (C) preferably have a flattened shape with an aspect ratio of <NUM> or more and <NUM> or less. Having such a shape, the particles of the solid additive (C) are prevented from being confined among reinforcement fibers.

The average of the longest diameters Lc2 across the dispersed particles of the solid additive (C) is preferably in the range of <NUM> or more and <NUM> or less. If it is more than <NUM>, the thickness of the resin layer may increase locally in the region where the solid additive (C) exists. The average Lc2 referred to here is determined by observing a cross section of a molded article by a microscope, measuring the longest diameter across a particle of the solid additive (C) at <NUM> points, and calculating the average of the measurements.

For the present invention, the inorganic filler (D) is an inorganic solid material in the form of particles of a shape such as sphere, ellipse, and polyhedron. Useful materials include, for example, glass, silica, mica, titanium dioxide, and aluminum oxide. In particular, the use of glass, silica, or mica is preferred from the viewpoint of the difference in refractive index from the thermosetting resin as described later. The average of the shortest diameters across the particles of the inorganic filler (D), Ld1, is preferably <NUM> or more and <NUM> or less. The average of the shortest diameters as referred to here is determined by dispersing the inorganic filler in water or an organic solvent and casting it on a slide glass to prepare a sample, which is observed by a microscope. The difference in the depth of focus between the top face of the slide glass and the top face of the filler is measured at <NUM> points and the average is calculated.

If the average of the shortest diameters across the particles of the inorganic filler (D), Ld1, is in this range, the drifting of the reinforcement fiber into the resin layer can be depressed. As a result, the decrease in the thickness of the resin layer is depressed and a state where the solid additive (C) is localized near the surface without being confined among reinforcement fibers is maintained, thereby enabling effective development of functions. If the average of the shortest diameters, Ld1, is less than <NUM>, the reinforcement fiber can drift into the resin layer to cause a considerable decrease in the thickness of the coat layer. On the other hand, even if the average of the shortest diameters, Ld1, is increased to more than <NUM> to form a coat layer with an increased thickness, it may not contribute to the development of functions.

The particles of the inorganic filler (D) preferably have an aspect ratio of <NUM> or more and <NUM> or less. If it is controlled in this range, the unevenness in the thickness of the resin layer can be depressed. Preferred inorganic filler materials with a low aspect ratio include glass beads and silica beads.

When a pigment is added as the solid additive (C), the difference in refractive index between the inorganic filler (D) and the cured product of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) is preferably <NUM> or less. As the difference in refractive index decreases, the coat layer increases in transparent to ensure more significant development of the coloring effect of the pigment.

For the present invention, the thickness of the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) and/or the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E') is preferably <NUM> or more and <NUM> or less, more preferably <NUM> or more and <NUM> or less, and most preferably <NUM> or more and <NUM> or less. A smaller thickness is preferable because its contribution to weight increase decreases.

The thickness of the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) and/or the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E') can be measured according to JIS L <NUM> (<NUM>) using an automatic compression elasticity-thickness tester manufactured by Daiei Kagaku Seiki Mfg. and the like.

Useful materials for the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) and/or porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E') include, for example, nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, and porous film. There are no specific limitations on the fiber used to form the nonwoven fabric or woven fabric and useful materials include, for example, organic fibers such as polyester, nylon, polyphenylene sulfide, polypropylene, and aramid, inorganic fibers such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, and ceramic, and metallic fibers such as stainless steel, aluminum, and copper.

Useful porous film materials include, for example, porous polypropylene sheets, porous polyethylene sheets, melamine foam, and urethane foam. In particular, porous polypropylene sheets and melamine foam are preferred from the viewpoint of heat resistance.

A prepreg used for the present invention is composed mainly of a reinforcement fiber (A) and a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>). There are no specific limitations on the reinforcement fiber and examples include organic fiber, glass fiber, and carbon fiber, of which carbon fiber is preferred from the viewpoint of mechanical characteristics.

There are no specific limitations on the type of prepreg and good examples include cloth prepreg, unidirectional continuous fiber prepreg, SMC, and other types of discontinuous fiber mats. When cloth prepreg is adopted, the cloth prepreg to be used preferably has an aperture of <NUM> or less in order to prevent the solid additive (C) from infiltrating into the prepreg layer (I). Unidirectional continuous fiber prepreg and SMC are weak in binding force among fibers and accordingly the fibers can drift easily in the thickness direction of the laminated product, ensuring strong effect in arresting the drifting of the reinforcement fiber according to the present invention.

A molded article produced by curing a prepreg containing a reinforcement fiber (A) and a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) preferably has a luminosity L* of <NUM> or less according to the CIELab color space. A combined use of a prepreg in the above luminosity range and a pigment having two or more layers with different refractive indices as described above realizes efficient color development of the pigment. The luminosity L* can be measured by, for example, using a MSC-P tester (manufactured by Suga Test Instruments Co.

The thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) contains a thermosetting resin and a curing agent. There are no specific limitations on the thermosetting resin, but examples include epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester, phenol resin, and other appropriate thermosetting resins. These thermosetting resins may be used singly or as a blend thereof. Here, for use as housing for electric and electronic instruments, it is preferable to use a material containing a novolac type epoxy resin because the resulting cured product will have high elastic modulus.

Useful curing agents include, for example, compounds that undergo a stoichiometric reaction such as aliphatic polyamine, aromatic polyamine, dicyandiamide, polycarboxylic acid, polycarboxylic acid hydrazide, acid anhydride, polymercaptan, and polyphenol; and those which act catalytically such as imidazole, Lewis acid complexes, and onium salts. In some cases, a compound that undergoes a stoichiometric reaction may be used in combination with a curing accelerator such as imidazole, Lewis acid complexes, onium salts, urea derivatives, and phosphine. Of these curing agents, preferable ones include organic nitrogen compounds whose molecules have nitrogen-containing groups such as amino group, amide group, imidazole group, urea group, and hydrazide group because the resulting fiber reinforced composite materials will have high heat resistance and good mechanical characteristics. These curing agents may be used singly or as a combination of a plurality thereof.

The thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) may further contains a thermoplastic resin component. The addition of a thermoplastic resin serves to control the tackiness of the prepreg and the flowability of the matrix resin during the heat-curing of the prepreg.

From the viewpoint of handleability and resin flow, thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) preferably has a shear viscosity in the range of <NUM> to <NUM> Pa·s, more preferably in the range of <NUM> to <NUM> Pa·s, at a temperature of <NUM>. A shear viscosity in this range serves to depress the resin flow during the molding step and produce a molded article with improved appearance quality and mechanical characteristics. When assuming the adoption of a film formation step by the hot melt method, it will also serve to prevent blurring to ensure the formation of a high quality film. In carrying out a reinforcement fiber impregnation step, it will work to improve the impregnation performance to a high degree. Here, the shear viscosity at a temperature of <NUM> is measured by using a dynamic viscoelasticity measuring machine (ARES-2KFRTN1-FCO-STD, supplied by TA Instruments) along with flat parallel plates with a diameter of <NUM> as measuring jigs. The thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) is set in such a manner that the distance between the plates is <NUM>, and the shear viscosity is measured in the twisting mode (measuring frequency <NUM>) at a heating rate of <NUM>/min in the temperature range of <NUM> to <NUM>.

The thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) used for the present invention contains a thermosetting resin and a curing agent. There are no specific limitations on the thermosetting resin, but examples include epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester, phenol resin, and other appropriate thermosetting resins. These thermosetting resins may be used singly or as a blend thereof. When a solid additive (C) intended for improving design characteristics is adopted, the use of an epoxy resin or unsaturated polyester with high transparency is preferred. Here, for use as housing for electric and electronic instruments, it is preferable to use a material containing a novolac type epoxy resin because the resulting cured product will have high elastic modulus.

The thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) may further contains a thermoplastic resin component. The blending of a thermoplastic resin serves to control the tackiness of the coat layer and the flowability of the matrix resin during the heat-curing of the preform.

It is preferable for the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) to have a shear viscosity in the range of <NUM> to <NUM> Pa·s at <NUM>. When it is in the range, processing of the resin into a layer and kneading of a solid additive (C) or inorganic filler (D) can be performed easily to ensure a high handleability. The shear viscosity of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) at <NUM> can be measured in the same way as described for the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>).

When a solid additive (C) intended for improving design characteristics is added, it is preferable for the cured product of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) to have a total light transmittance of <NUM>% or more. The total light transmittance as referred to here is measured for a plate-like sample with a thickness of <NUM> according to JIS K <NUM>-<NUM> (<NUM>) using a haze transmissometer (HM-<NUM>, manufactured by Manufactured by Murakami Color Research Laboratory Co. and the like). A total light transmittance controlled in this range allows the fiber reinforced layer to be visible through the coat layer to ensure design characteristics with deeper colors as compared to simple coating. If the total light transmittance is less than <NUM>%, the pigment may lose its good color and brightness features.

The thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) may be the same as or different from each other. It is preferable for the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) to contain the same curing agent because the molding step can be performed at a molding temperature that is suitable for both the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>). In another embodiment, the curing rate of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) is preferably higher than the curing rate of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) because the viscosity increase caused by the curing of the prepreg layer (I) occurs earlier than that of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), serving to depress the drifting of the reinforcement fiber into the resin layer (II) during the molding step. The curing rate as referred to here is based on the torque that is determined by taking measurements using a rheometer (RPA2000, manufactured by Alpha Technologies) in the twisting mode (measuring frequency <NUM>) while heating an approximately <NUM> uncured resin sample of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) or the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) at a rate of <NUM>/min. The length of time required to exceed a torque of <NUM> is compared between the two thermosetting resins and either one that requires a shorter time is judged to be faster in curing.

A compound resin to be used to prepare the resin layer (II) can be produced by using an agitator, extruder, or the like.

In the case of a resin layer (II) that consists of a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), solid additive (C), and inorganic filler (D), it is appropriate for the inorganic filler (D) to account for <NUM>% to <NUM>%, preferably <NUM>% to <NUM>%, more preferably <NUM>% to <NUM>%, by volume of the compound resin, that is, the resin dominantly constituting the resin layer (II). A volume fraction of the inorganic filler (D) controlled in this range serves to depress the thickness decrease of the resin layer (II) during the molding step. If the volume fraction is less than <NUM>%, the effect of depressing the drifting of the reinforcement fiber into the resin layer tends to decrease, possibly leading to a reduction in the effect of preventing the thickness decrease of the resin layer. If the volume fraction is more than <NUM>%, the resin viscosity will increase, possibly making it difficult to knead the inorganic filler (D) uniformly.

The volume fraction of the solid additive (C) in the compound resin is preferably in the range of <NUM>% to <NUM>% from the viewpoint of development of functions. If the volume fraction is less than <NUM>%, the addition of the solid additive (C) will possibly not work sufficiently to develop functions, whereas if it is added to more than <NUM>%, it may not contribute significantly to develop surface functions.

In the case of a resin layer (II) that consists of a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), a solid additive (C), and porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E), the hole diameter Le of the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) meets the relation of Le < Lc where Lc is the average of the longest diameters across the primary particles of the solid additive (C). A hole diameter Le that meets this requirement helps to depress the passage of the solid additive (C) through the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E). Localized existence of the solid additive (C) near the surface of the coat layer, i.e., the cured resin layer (II') produced by the curing step, of a molded article is preferable because it serves for effective performance of functions.

A prepared compound resin can be processed into a layer as described below. A resin layer (II) can be produced by pressing a prepared compound resin by a pressing machine or the like or spreading it over, for example, a sheet of release paper or polyethylene film to a predetermined thickness.

In the case of a resin layer (II) that consists of a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), a solid additive (C), and a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E), such a resin layer (II) can be produced by kneading a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and a solid additive (C) in the same way as described above to provide a compound resin and then impregnating the porous sheet-like base material (E) with the compound resin by the method described later.

The preform according to the present invention can be produced by laminating the resulting resin layer (II) to the surface of a prepreg. Otherwise, the resin layer (II) may be transferred to the surface of a prepreg laminated in advance to a predetermined thickness.

Other methods useful for preparing a preform having a resin layer (II) on the surface include the hot melt technique described below.

Preparation of a preform using the hot melt technique can be carried out as described below. First, the reinforcement fiber (A) is impregnated with the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) from either surface or from both surfaces by heating and pressing. Subsequently, a preform can be produced by attaching a resin layer (II).

In the case where the compound resin is low in viscosity and difficult to process into a layer, a preform can be produced by, for example, placing a prepreg in a mold and pouring a compound resin onto it. In the case of a resin layer (II) that consists of a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), a solid additive (C), and a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E), a preform can be produced by preparing a prepreg with a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) attached to the surface, placing it in a mold, and pouring a compound resin consisting of a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and a solid additive (C) onto the surface where the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) is attached.

The volume fraction of the solid additive (C) in the resin layer (II) thus formed is equal to the volume fraction of the solid additive (C) in the aforementioned compound resin. In the case where the resin layer (II) contains a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), a solid additive (C), and inorganic filler (D), the volume fraction of the inorganic filler (D) is equal to the volume fraction of the inorganic filler (D) in the aforementioned compound resin.

Formation of a resin layer (II) and subsequent production of a resin base material can be carried out as described below.

A resin base material consisting of a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), a solid additive (C), and inorganic filler (D) can be produced by preparing a compound resin in advance according to the aforementioned method and then spreading the compound resin over, for example, a sheet of release paper or polyethylene film.

A resin base material that consists of a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), a solid additive (C), and a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) can be obtained by kneading a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and a solid additive (C) in the same way as described above to provide a compound resin in advance and then applying the compound resin over a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E). To prevent the resin from sticking to surrounding parts, it is preferable to spread the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes over, for example, a sheet of release paper or polyethylene film before performing the application step. If it is difficult to impregnate the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes with the compound resin, the application of the compound resin may be followed by heating and pressing using a nip roll or double belt press to promote the impregnation.

It is more preferable to apply the compound resin to only one surface of the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E). If the compound resin is applied to both surfaces, the solid additive (C) present near the surface where the prepreg layer (I) is laminated cannot be localized near the surface of the resulting molded article, resulting in weakening of the effect of developing functions. In this case, lamination is performed in such a manner that the surface of the resin layer (II) where the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) is localized densely faces the prepreg layer (I).

The preform according to the present invention includes a prepreg provided with a surface layer that contains a solid additive. If such a preform is molded alone or after attaching it on the surface of a prepreg, a molded article of a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer can be produced in a more simple manner as compared to the case where a molded article is produced first from a prepreg followed by forming a coat layer by coating.

Since the preform is a laminate of a prepreg layer (I) containing a reinforcement fiber (A) and a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), a resin layer (II) containing a thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and a solid additive (C), and a layer (III) of a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E') that is interposed therebetween, the hole diameter Le' of the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E') meets the relation of Le' < Lc where Lc is the average of the longest diameters across the primary particles of the solid additive (C). A hole diameter Le' that meets this requirement helps to depress the passage of the solid additive (C) through the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E'). In particular, the localized existence of the solid additive (C) near the surface of the coat layer is preferable to serve for effective performance of functions.

Here, the hole diameter Le of the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E') is a peak top value in the distribution obtained by the mercury intrusion method. On the other hand, the average of the longest diameters Lc across the primary particles of the solid additive (C) is determined by dispersing the solid additive (C) in water or an organic solvent and casting it on a slide glass to prepare a sample, which is observed by a microscope. The longest diameter across a particle of the solid additive (C) is measured at <NUM> points and the average is calculated.

The thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) may be the same as or different from each other. It is preferable for the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) to contain the same curing agent because the molding step can be performed at a molding temperature that is suitable for both the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>).

The fiber-reinforced composite material thus produced is highly useful because it is so high in design property, weather resistance, and fire retardance that it can be applied widely to automobile members, sports goods, electric appliances, and computer members such as IC trays and laptop computer housings.

The invention is described more specifically below with reference to Examples. Described below are the prepreg, solid additive (C), matrix resin of the resin layer (II), inorganic filler (D), and porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (D) used in Examples. However, note that the present invention is not limited to these examples.

All blend components listed above excluding the glass fiber are mixed and kneaded well, and the glass fiber was impregnated with the kneaded mixture prepared above in a SMC production apparatus, followed by ageing at <NUM> for <NUM> hours to provide a sheet-like base material with a thickness of about <NUM>.

Porous sheet-like base material A: A nonwoven fabric type base material with a width of <NUM>,<NUM> was prepared by the blow method from pellets of CM4000 (terpolymerized polyamide resin (polyamide <NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>, melting point <NUM>), manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc. The nonwoven fabric type base material had a weight per unit area of <NUM>/m<NUM> and a film thickness of <NUM>.

Porous sheet-like base material B: A nonwoven fabric type base material with a width of <NUM>,<NUM> was prepared by the blow method from pellets of polypropylene resin (melting point <NUM>, melt flow rate <NUM>,<NUM>/<NUM> at <NUM> under <NUM> load), manufactured by SunAllomer Ltd. The nonwoven fabric type base material had a weight per unit area of <NUM>/m<NUM> and a film thickness of <NUM>.

Porous sheet-like base material C: A nonwoven PBT fabric (trade name Delpore, product number DP3002-40B, manufactured by Sansho Co. , film thickness <NUM>)
Porous sheet-like base material D: Porous PET film (PET film (trade name S10 Lumirror #<NUM>, manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc. ) perforated with heated needle, film thickness <NUM>).

The aforementioned base resin and thermoplastic resin were put in a kneading apparatus, heated to a temperature of <NUM>, and kneaded for <NUM> minutes while heating at <NUM>. Then, while continuing the kneading, the temperature was lowered down to <NUM> to <NUM>, and a curing agent was added, followed by stirring for <NUM> minutes to provide thermosetting resin A.

The aforementioned base resin and thermoplastic resin were put in a kneading apparatus, heated to a temperature of <NUM>, and kneaded for <NUM> minutes while heating at <NUM>. Then, while continuing the kneading, the temperature was lowered down to <NUM> to <NUM>, and a curing agent was added, followed by stirring for <NUM> minutes to provide thermosetting resin B.

First, <NUM> part by mass of solid additive A and <NUM> parts by mass of inorganic filler B were added to <NUM> parts by mass of thermosetting resin A prepared above and heated at <NUM> for <NUM> hours by a hot air drier to adjust the viscosity of thermosetting resin A to a region suitable for kneading. This mixture was kneaded in a rotation and revolution type vacuum mixer (manufactured by Thinky Corporation) at <NUM>,<NUM> rpm for <NUM> minutes to provide compound resin A.

Except for using <NUM> parts by mass of inorganic filler A, the same procedure as in preparation example <NUM> was carried out to provide compound resin B.

Except for using <NUM> parts by mass of inorganic filler B, the same procedure as in preparation example <NUM> was carried out to provide compound resin C.

Except for using <NUM> part by mass of solid additive B and <NUM> parts by mass of inorganic filler C, the same procedure as in preparation example <NUM> was carried out to provide compound resin D.

Except for using <NUM> parts by mass of inorganic filler B, compound resin E was prepared under the same conditions as in preparation example <NUM>.

Except for using <NUM> parts by mass of inorganic filler D, the same procedure as in preparation example <NUM> was carried out to provide compound resin F.

Except for using <NUM> parts by mass of inorganic filler E, the same procedure as in preparation example <NUM> was carried out to provide compound resin G.

Except for using <NUM> part by mass of inorganic filler B, the same procedure as in preparation example <NUM> was carried out to provide compound resin H.

Except for not using an inorganic filler, the same procedure as in preparation example <NUM> was carried out to provide compound resin I.

First, <NUM> part by mass of solid additive A and <NUM> parts by mass of inorganic filler B were added to <NUM> parts by mass of thermosetting resin B prepared above and heated at <NUM> for <NUM> hours by a hot air drier to adjust the viscosity of thermosetting resin A to a region suitable for kneading. This mixture was kneaded in a rotation and revolution type vacuum mixer (manufactured by Thinky Corporation) at <NUM>,<NUM> rpm for <NUM> minutes to provide compound resin J.

First, <NUM> part by mass of solid additive B was added to <NUM> parts by mass of thermosetting resin A prepared above and heated at <NUM> for <NUM> hours by a hot air drier to adjust the viscosity of thermosetting resin A to a region suitable for kneading. This mixture was kneaded in a rotation and revolution type vacuum mixer (manufactured by Thinky Corporation) at <NUM>,<NUM> rpm for <NUM> minutes to provide compound resin K.

Except for using <NUM> part by mass of solid additive A, compound resin L was prepared under the same conditions as in preparation example <NUM>.

Resin layers A to J were prepared by preheating <NUM> of each of compound resins A to J at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes in a pressing machine and pressing it at <NUM> MPa for <NUM> minutes. The thickness was adjusted using a spacer with a thickness of <NUM>.

Resin layer K and resin layer L were prepared by preheating <NUM> of compound resin K or L at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes in a pressing machine and pressing them at <NUM> MPa for <NUM> minutes. The thickness was adjusted using a spacer with a thickness of <NUM>.

Resin layer M was prepared by stacking resin layer K on porous sheet-like base material A, preheating the laminate at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes in a pressing machine and pressing it at <NUM> MPa for <NUM> minutes. The thickness was adjusted using a spacer with a thickness of <NUM>.

Resin layer L was stacked on porous sheet-like base material B and pressed under the same conditions as in production example <NUM> to provide resin layer N.

Resin layer K was stacked on porous sheet-like base material B and pressed under the same conditions as in production example <NUM> to provide resin layer O.

Resin layer K was stacked on porous sheet-like base material C and pressed under the same conditions as in production example <NUM> to provide resin layer P.

Resin layer A was stacked on porous sheet-like base material D and press under the same conditions as in production example <NUM> to provide resin layer Q.

Resin layer B was stacked on porous sheet-like base material D and press under the same conditions as in production example <NUM> to provide resin layer R.

The solid additive (C) or the inorganic filler (D) was dispersed in water and cast onto a slide glass to prepare a sample, which was observed by a laser microscope (VK-<NUM>, manufactured by Keyence). The difference in focal depth between the top face of the slide glass and the top face of the solid additive (C) or the inorganic filler (D) was measured at <NUM> points and the average of the measurements was calculated. Results are given in Table <NUM>.

The solid additive (C) was dispersed in water and cast onto a slide glass to prepare a sample, which was observed by a laser microscope (VK-<NUM>, manufactured by Keyence). The longest diameter of an independent particle of the solid additive (C) was measured at <NUM> points and the average of the measurements was calculated. Results are given in Tables <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>.

A molded article was cut in the thickness direction, placed in a mold with the cross section facing down, and fixed using epoxy resin. The face of the resulting block facing to the cross section of the molded article was polished to prepare a sample for observation. The polished face was observed by a laser microscope (VK-<NUM>, manufactured by Keyence) and the longest diameter across a dispersed particle was measured at <NUM> points, followed by calculating the average of the measurements. Results are given in Tables <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>.

The solid additive (C) was dispersed in water and cast onto a slide glass to prepare a sample, which was observed by a laser microscope (VK-<NUM>, manufactured by Keyence). The longest size across an arbitrary particle of the solid additive (C) was measured and adopted as the longest diameter. Subsequently, the same sample of the solid additive (C) was observed to measure the difference in focal depth between the top face of the slide glass and the top face of the solid additive (C) and adopted as the shortest diameter. The measured longest diameter was divided by the shortest diameter to calculate the quotient. Similar measurements were taken from a total of <NUM> samples and their average was adopted as aspect ratio.

The thickness of a porous sheet-like base material was measured according to JIS L <NUM> (<NUM>) using an automatic compression elasticity-thickness tester (CHE-<NUM>, manufactured by Daiei Kagaku Seiki Mfg.

Autopore IV9510 manufactured by Micromeritics was used for measurement by the mercury intrusion method. The mercury intrusion pressure was <NUM> kPa to <NUM> MPa; the measuring hole diameter was <NUM> to <NUM>; the measuring mode was "pressure increase"; the measuring cell volume was <NUM><NUM>; and the surface of tension of mercury was assumed to be <NUM> dyn/cm. To prepare a sample, a square with sides of several centimeters was cut out of a porous sheet-like base material (E) or (E') and weighed, and after measuring the size accurately, it was enclosed in a specimen container made of glass.

The torque to serve as index was determined by taking measurements using a rheometer (RPA2000, manufactured by Alpha Technologies) in the twisting mode (measuring frequency <NUM>) while heating an approximately <NUM> uncured resin sample of a thermosetting resin at a rate of <NUM>/min. The length of time required to exceed a torque of <NUM> was compared between a pair of thermosetting resins and either one that requires a shorter time was judged to be faster in curing. The curing rate of a thermosetting resin in a prepreg was determined as described below.

A sample of thermosetting resin C, which was used as the matrix resin of prepreg A, was taken by scratching prepreg A by moving a spatula in the fiber direction. The curing rates of thermosetting resin C thus sampled and thermosetting resin B prepared by kneading above were measured by the evaluation method described above and results showed that thermosetting resin C was cured faster than thermosetting resin B.

A molded article was cut in the thickness direction, placed in a mold with the cross section facing down, and fixed using epoxy resin. The face of the resulting embedded block facing to the cross section of the molded article was polished to prepare a sample for observation. The polished face was observed by a laser microscope (VK-<NUM>, manufactured by Keyence) and the distance between the surface of the molded article and the reinforcement fiber was measured at <NUM> points, followed by calculating the average of the measurements. In the case of observation of a cured cloth prepreg, a strand in which the fibers stand perpendicular to the surface under observation was selected, and after dividing the strand into three parts, the central region was observed.

As in Examples and Comparative examples described later, a fiber reinforced composite material was prepared and its cross section was polished and photographed by a laser microscope (VK-<NUM>, manufactured by Keyence) at a magnification of <NUM>,<NUM> times. In this photograph of the cross section, a line parallel to the surface of the fiber reinforced composite material was drawn at a depth corresponding to the thickness of the coat layer after the molding step determined previously. The ratio between the total cross section of the solid additive (C) and the cross section of the solid additive (C) present between the fiber reinforced composite material and the aforementioned line was determined by an image analyzer. In the case of observation of a cured cloth prepreg, a strand in which the fibers stand perpendicular to the surface under observation was selected, and after dividing the strand into three parts, the central region was observed. Results are given in Tables <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>.

For resin layers K to R prepared as described above, a sample taken was sandwiched between two smooth polytetrafluoroethylene resin plates and brought into close contact, and then gradual heating was continued for <NUM> days up to <NUM> to ensure gelation and curing, thus producing a plate-like cured resin. After the completion of curing, the cured plate was cut in the direction perpendicular to the contact interface, and the cross section was polished and photographed by a laser microscope (VK-<NUM>, manufactured by Keyence) at a magnification of <NUM>. From this photograph of the cross section, the ratio between the total cross section S1 of the solid additive (C) and the cross section S2 of the solid additive (C) present between the porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) and the surface of the cured resin in the a-side (theside in contact with the resin film) was determined by an image analyzer. Results are given in Table <NUM>.

As in Examples and Comparative examples described later, a fiber reinforced composite material was prepared and its cross section was polished and photographed by a laser microscope (VK-<NUM>, manufactured by Keyence) at a magnification of <NUM>,<NUM> times. In this photograph of the cross section, the region perpendicular to the fiber was observed to measure the distance between the porous sheet-like base material (E) and the reinforcement fiber (A) at <NUM> points and the average of the measures was calculated. Results are given in Tables <NUM> and <NUM>. In the case of observation of a cured cloth prepreg, a strand in which the fibers stand perpendicular to the surface under observation was selected, and after dividing the strand into three parts, the central region was observed.

For inorganic fillers A to E, the refractive index was measured by the Becke line method specified in JIS K <NUM> (<NUM>).

In addition, thermosetting resin A prepared as described above was injected into an appropriate mold with a gap of <NUM> and heated in a hot air oven from room temperature to a temperature of <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM> per minute and cured for one hour at the temperature of <NUM>. A piece with a length <NUM> and a width of <NUM> was cut out of the resulting cured product and its refractive index was measured using an Abbe refractometer as described in JIS K <NUM> (<NUM>). The refractive index of thermosetting resin A obtained above was <NUM>.

Thermosetting resin B prepared as described above was injected into an appropriate mold with a gap of <NUM> and heated in a hot air oven from room temperature to a temperature of <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM> per minute and cured for two hours at the temperature of <NUM>. A piece with a length <NUM> and a width of <NUM> was cut out of the resulting cured product and its refractive index was measured using an Abbe refractometer as described in JIS K <NUM> (<NUM>). The refractive index of thermosetting resin B obtained above was <NUM>.

A specimen of fiber reinforced composite material for measuring the luminosity L* was prepared, and its spectral reflectance was measured using a multi-illuminant colorimeter (MSC-P, manufactured by Suga Test Instruments Co. ) in the wavelength range of <NUM> to <NUM> under the conditions of using the reflection light mode, C illuminant, <NUM>° field of view, <NUM>° incidence, and exclusion of specular reflection, and the luminosity L* was determined by calculation.

Prepregs B and C were observed by a digital microscope (VHX-<NUM>, manufactured by Keyence) and photographs were taken at a magnification of <NUM> times. The length of the diagonal across an aperture present at the intersection of CF strands was measured at <NUM> points and the average of the measurements was adopted as the aperture. Results are given in Table <NUM>.

Thermosetting resin A prepared as described above was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa for <NUM> minutes to ensure curing. The thickness was adjusted using a spacer with a thickness of <NUM>. The resulting cured product was observed using beams in the visible light wavelength region (<NUM> to <NUM>) and the total light transmittance was measured according to JIS K <NUM>-<NUM> (<NUM>) using a haze transmissometer (HM-<NUM>, manufactured by Murakami Color Research Laboratory Co. The total light transmittance was <NUM>%.

In addition, thermosetting resin B prepared as described above was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa for <NUM> hour to ensure curing. The thickness was adjusted using a spacer with a thickness of <NUM>. The resulting cured product was observed using beams in the visible light wavelength region (<NUM> to <NUM>) and the total light transmittance was measured according to JIS K <NUM>-<NUM> (<NUM>) using a haze transmissometer (HM-<NUM>, manufactured by Murakami Color Research Laboratory Co. The total light transmittance was <NUM>%.

Plies of prepreg A were stacked to form a structure of [<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>] where the fiber direction was <NUM>°. This prepreg stack was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to cure the prepreg to provide a fiber reinforced composite material. Resin layer I was stacked on the resulting fiber reinforced composite material. This laminate was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to cure the resin layer to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface. Using the resulting fiber reinforced composite material as reference, fiber reinforced composite materials prepared in Examples and Comparative examples described later were examined and the degree of opaque in each coat layer was evaluated based on visual observation. A specimen was ranked as A when it was comparable to the reference while it was ranked as C when it was opaquer than the reference. Results are given in Table <NUM>.

Plies of prepreg A were stacked to form a structure of [<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>] where the fiber direction was <NUM>°. This prepreg laminate was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to cure the prepreg to provide a fiber reinforced composite material. Resin layer K was stacked on the resulting fiber reinforced composite material. This laminate was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to cure the surface layer to provide a molded article of the fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface. Using the resulting molded article of fiber reinforced composite material as reference, the molded articles of fiber reinforced composite materials prepared in Examples and Comparative examples described later were examined and the degree of color development in the coat layer of each molded article of fiber reinforced composite material was evaluated based on visual observation. A specimen is ranked as A when it is comparable to the reference, ranked as B when color development was recognized though darker than the reference, and ranked as C when color development was not recognized. Results are given in Tables <NUM> and <NUM>.

Plies of prepreg A were stacked to form a structure of [<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>] where the fiber direction was <NUM>°. In addition, resin layer A was stacked on top of it to prepare a preform. The resulting preform was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Except for using any of resin layers B to H for lamination, the same procedure as in Example <NUM> was carried out to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Plies of prepreg A were stacked to form a structure of [<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>] where the fiber direction was <NUM>°. In addition, resin layer J was stacked on top of it to prepare a preform. The resulting preform was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Four plies of prepreg B were stacked on one another. In addition, resin layer D was stacked on top of it to prepare a preform. The resulting preform was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Except for using Prepreg C, the same procedure as in Example <NUM> was carried out to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Two plies of prepreg D were stacked on one another. In addition, resin layer B was stacked on top of it to prepare a preform. The resulting preform was placed on a die heated at <NUM> and, after closing the die, it was pressed at <NUM> MPa under the temperature condition at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Plies of prepreg A were stacked to form a structure of [<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>] where the fiber direction was <NUM>°. In addition, porous sheet-like base material A was stacked in contact with the prepreg and then resin layer K was stacked on top of it to prepare a preform. The resulting preform was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Except for using porous sheet-like base material B and resin layer L for lamination, the same procedure as in Example <NUM> was carried out to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Except for using porous sheet-like base material B for lamination, the same procedure as in Example <NUM> was carried out to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Four plies of prepreg B were stacked on one another. In addition, porous sheet-like base material B was stacked in contact with the prepreg and then resin layer K was stacked on top of it to prepare a preform. The resulting preform was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Except for using porous sheet-like base material C for lamination, the same procedure as in Example <NUM> was carried out to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Two plies of prepreg C were stacked on one another. In addition, porous sheet-like base material A was stacked in contact with the prepreg and then resin layer K was stacked on top of it to prepare a preform. The resulting preform was placed on a die heated at <NUM> and, after closing the die, it was pressed at <NUM> MPa under the temperature condition at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Except for using porous sheet-like base material D for lamination, the same procedure as in Example <NUM> was carried out to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Plies of prepreg A were stacked to form a structure of [<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>] where the fiber direction was <NUM>°. In addition, resin layer M was stacked on top of it to prepare a preform. The resulting preform was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Except for using resin layer N for lamination, the same procedure as in Example <NUM> was carried out to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Except for using resin layer O for lamination, the same procedure as in Example <NUM> was carried out to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Four plies of prepreg B were stacked on one another. In addition, resin layer N was stacked on top of it to prepare a preform. The resulting preform was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Except for using resin layer P for lamination, the same procedure as in Example <NUM> was carried out to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Except for using resin layer Q for lamination, the same procedure as in Example <NUM> was carried out to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Except for using resin layer R for lamination, the same procedure as in Example <NUM> was carried out to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Two plies of prepreg C were stacked on one another. In addition, resin layer M was stacked on top of it to prepare a preform. The resulting preform was placed on a die heated at <NUM> and, after closing the die, it was pressed at <NUM> MPa under the temperature condition at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Except for using resin layer I for lamination, the same procedure as in Example <NUM> was carried out to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Plies of prepreg A were stacked to form a structure of [<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>] where the fiber direction was <NUM>°. This prepreg laminate was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to cure the prepreg to provide a fiber reinforced composite material. Resin layer D was stacked on the resulting fiber reinforced composite material. This laminate was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to cure the resin layer to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Plies of prepreg A were stacked to form a structure of [<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>] where the fiber direction was <NUM>°. This prepreg laminate was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to cure the prepreg to provide a fiber reinforced composite material. Porous sheet-like base material A was stacked in contact with the resulting fiber reinforced composite material and then resin layer K was stacked on top of it. This laminate was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to cure the surface layer to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Except for not using a porous sheet-like base material for lamination, the same procedure as in Example <NUM> was carried out to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Plies of prepreg A were stacked to form a structure of [<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>] where the fiber direction was <NUM>°. This prepreg laminate was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to cure the prepreg to provide a fiber reinforced composite material. Resin layer M was stacked on the resulting fiber reinforced composite material. This laminate was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to cure the surface layer to provide a fiber reinforced composite material having a coat layer on the surface.

Plies of prepreg A were stacked to form a structure of [<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>] where the fiber direction was <NUM>°. This prepreg laminate was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to cure the prepreg to provide a fiber reinforced composite material. The luminosity L* of the resulting fiber reinforced composite material was measured as described above and found to be <NUM>.

Four plies of prepreg B were stacked on one another. This prepreg laminate was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to provide a fiber reinforced composite material. The luminosity L* of the resulting fiber reinforced composite material was measured as described above and found to be <NUM>.

Four plies of prepreg C were stacked on one another. This prepreg laminate was preheated in a pressing machine at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then pressed at <NUM> MPa while at the same time heating it to <NUM> at a heating rate of <NUM>/min. After reaching <NUM>, the pressure and temperature were maintained for <NUM> minutes to provide a fiber reinforced composite material. The luminosity L* of the resulting fiber reinforced composite material was measured as described above and found to be <NUM>.

Two plies of prepreg D were stacked on one another. The resulting prepreg laminate was placed on a die heated at <NUM> and, after closing the die, it was pressed at <NUM> MPa under the temperature condition at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes to provide a fiber reinforced composite material. The luminosity L* of the resulting fiber reinforced composite material was measured as described above and found to be <NUM>.

Comparison between Examples <NUM> to <NUM> and Comparative example <NUM> shows that the addition of an inorganic filler (D) to the resin layer (II) serves to depress the change in thickness of the resin layer (II) caused by curing. Furthermore, the solid additive (C) accounts for a large proportion in the coat layer, suggesting that the solid additive (C) can exhibit its functions without being confined among reinforcement fibers.

In addition, comparison of Examples <NUM> to <NUM> and <NUM> to <NUM> with Examples <NUM> and <NUM> shows that the effect of reducing the change in thickness of the resin layer (II) caused by curing is noticeable when the average of the shortest diameters Ld1 of the inorganic filler (D) is <NUM> or more and <NUM> or less and the volume fraction of the solid additive (C) in the resin layer (II) is <NUM>% to <NUM>%.

Comparison of Examples <NUM> to <NUM> and <NUM> with Examples <NUM> and <NUM> shows that the solid additive (C) accounts for a very large proportion in the coat layer and it can exhibit its functions more effectively without being confined among reinforcement fibers when the average of the shortest diameters Ld1 of the inorganic filler (D) is <NUM> or more and <NUM> or less and the volume fraction of the solid additive (C) in the resin layer (II) is <NUM>% to <NUM>%.

Comparison of Example <NUM> with Example <NUM> shows that when a cloth prepreg which has the smller aperture is used, the solid additive (C) accounts for a larger proportion in the coat layer.

Comparison of Example <NUM> with Example <NUM> shows that when the curing rate of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) is lower than that of the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) in the prepreg layer (I), the change in thickness of the resin layer (II) caused by curing is reduced and the solid additive (C) accounts for such a large proportion in the coat layer that the solid additive (C) can exhibit its functions without being confined among reinforcement fibers.

Comparison of Examples <NUM> to <NUM> and Examples <NUM> to <NUM> with Example <NUM> shows that the coat layer was free of opaque and a highly transparent appearance developed when the difference in refractive index between the inorganic filler (D) and the thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) was <NUM> or less.

In Examples <NUM> to <NUM> and Examples <NUM> and <NUM>, the fiber reinforced composite material showed vivid color development and, when seen through the coat layer, had well-balanced visibility and deep-colored design characteristics.

In Examples <NUM> to <NUM>, the resulting materials had a glittering appearance of blue which is an interference color of the pigment. In Example <NUM>, the resulting material had a glittering appearance, but showed no interference color.

In Comparative example <NUM>, although the change in thickness of the resin layer caused by molding was small, a long production time was required because the curing step had to be performed twice.

Comparison of Examples <NUM> to <NUM> with Comparative example <NUM> shows that the addition of a porous sheet-like base material (E) such that the hole diameter Le of the porous sheet-like base material (E) and the average Lc of the longest diameters across the primary particles of the solid additive (C) has the relation of Le < Lc serves noticeably to reduce the change in thickness of the surface layer caused by curing. Furthermore, it is found that the solid additive (C) accounted for a large proportion in the coat layer and can exhibit its functions effectively.

Comparison of Example <NUM> with Example <NUM> shows that the addition of a porous sheet-like base material (E) having a hole diameter Le that is larger than the average of the longest diameters Lc across the primary particles of the solid additive (C) results in a decrease in the proportion of the solid additive (C) present in the coat layer and slight deterioration in the development of functions.

In Comparative example <NUM>, in spite of a large proportion of the solid additive (C) present in the coat layer, a long production time was required because the curing step had to be performed twice.

Comparison between Examples <NUM> to <NUM> and Comparative example <NUM> shows that the introduction of a porous sheet-like base material in the resin layer (II) serves noticeably to reduce the change in thickness of the resin layer (II) caused by curing. Furthermore, it is found that the solid additive (C) accounted for a large proportion in the coat layer and can exhibit its functions effectively.

Comparison of Examples <NUM> to <NUM> with Examples <NUM> and <NUM> shows that the proportion of the solid additive (C) present in the coat layer is considerably high when the hole diameter Le of the porous sheet-like base material (E) and the average Lc of the longest diameters across the primary particles of the solid additive (C) have the relation of Le < Lc.

Claim 1:
A production method for a fiber reinforced composite material including a step for heating a preform formed by laminating a prepreg layer (I) including a reinforcement fiber (A) and a first thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) with a resin layer (II) including a second thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and a solid additive (C), wherein the preform is heated to cure the first thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>) and the second thermosetting resin (B-<NUM>), the cured resin layer (II') formed by curing the resin layer (II) having an average thickness of <NUM> or more and <NUM> or less,
wherein the resin layer (II) contains a porous sheet-like base material having continuous holes (E) that acts as spacer,
wherein the hole diameter Le of the porous sheet-like base material (E) meets the relation of Le < Lc where Lc is the average of the longest diameters across the primary particles of the solid additive (C).