Patent ID: 8603374

Claim:
A process for producing a polymer-bonded fiber agglomerate, the process comprising the following steps: soaking a filament yarn with a liquid or pulverulent synthetic resin or a liquid or pulverulent thermoplastic to form an impregnated filament strand; pressing the impregnated filament strand to a laid material of filaments orientated in parallel; optionally, curing the synthetic resin, if used by heat treatment; cooling the pressed filament strand; carbonizing the filament strand pressed to a tape by heating to the exclusion of oxidizing substances; and cutting the filament strand to a defined width and length, said cutting resulting in formation of the polymer-bonded fiber agglomerate formed of: fibers selected from the group consisting of carbon, ceramic materials, glasses, metals and organic polymers; a polymeric bonding resin selected from the group consisting of synthetic resins and thermoplastics; the fiber agglomerate having an average length, measured in a fiber direction, of from 3 mm to 50 mm; the fiber agglomerate having an average thickness, measured perpendicularly to said fiber direction, of from 0.1 mm to 10 mm; and at least 75% of all contained fibers in the agglomerate having a length being at least 90% and at most 110% of said fiber agglomerate average length.