Composite Articles Comprising In-Situ-Polymerisable Thermoplastic Material and Processes for their Construction

摘要

A process for the manufacture of a composite article is described wherein the process comprises the steps of (i) providing on a tool (22) a fibrous material (14) having associated therewith in at least one region thereof an in-situ polymerisable non-fibrous form of a thermoplastic material; (ii) applying heat and a vacuum to said material; and additionally (iii) drawing into the fibrous material, from a source external to the tool, additional thermoplastic pre-polymer material. The process described is particularly useful for the manufacture of a large composite structure such as thermoplastic composite wind turbine blade, for example.