Patent ID: 7026411

Claim:
Method for the preparation and curing of a curable composition or prepreg comprising at least one polyaromatic having reactive end groups, at least one thermoset resin, and a reactive catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises a Lewis acid having amine functionality which co-ordinates the reactive end groups of the polyaromatic with the thermoset resin at a pre-cure temperature in the region 60-150° C., and wherein the at least one polyaromatic comprises at least one polyaryl sulphone comprising ether-linked repeating units, optionally additionally comprising thioether-linked repeating units, the units being selected from the group consisting of —(PhSO 2 Ph) n — and —(Ph) a wherein Ph is phenylene, n=1 to 2, a=1 to 3 and when a exceeds 1, said phenylene are linked linearly through a single chemical bond or divalent group other than —SO 2 — or are fused together, characterized in that the process comprises admixing the respective polyaromatic and thermoset components as hereinbefore defined, optionally in the presence of solvent, removing residual solvent by evaporation at 50-200° C., precuring in a first stage by subjecting the curable composition to a first lower temperature state in the range of 60-150° C. and in the presence of a BF 3 catalyst, and then subjecting said curable composition or prepreg to elevated temperature in the range of 60-200° C., with the use of elevated pressure of up to 10 bar to restrain deforming effects of escaping gases or to restrain void formation.