Hybrid bicomponent fibres for thermoplastic composite preforms

Hybrid bicomponent fibres – materials in which reinforcement fibres are individually sheathed in thermoplastic polymer – are proposed as a novel class of preform materials for thermoplastic composites. We assert that by reducing the scale of hybridization between the reinforcement fibres and the matrix polymer to the level of the fibre, a thermoplastic intermediate material with both high drapeability and short consolidation times can be developed. The manufacture of hybrid bicomponent fibres is demonstrated in a scalable, coating process in which glass fibres are combined with several thermoplastic polymer matrix systems in dimensions and proportions suitable for use in thermoplastic composite structures. This novel class of thermoplastic composite preforms is expected to expedite the high volume production of geometrically complex thermoplastic composite parts.