Patent ID: 7183334

Claim:
A method of preparing a shelf-stable sheet-molding compound (SMC), which comprises: a) mixing a solid acrylic resin, which is free of active free-radical polymerization initiators, with one or more liquid monomers, liquid oligomers, liquid polymers or a combination thereof with vinyl unsaturation, which polymerizes in the presence of an activated free-radical polymerization initiator, wherein said solid acrylic resin absorbs said liquid monomers, oligomers, polymers and combinations thereof, and reacts with said liquid monomers, oligomers, polymers and combinations thereof, in the presence of an activated free-radical polymerization initiator; and b) applying the mixture of a) to a fabric or mat of long fiber reinforcement having an aspect ratio L/D greater than 5:1, which is insoluble in said solid acrylic resin and c) aging the combination of the mixture of a) and the fabric or mat for at least 24 hours to allow absorption of the liquid monomer, oligomer, polymer or combination thereof containing vinyl unsaturation, by the solid acrylic resin.