Thermoplastic Prepregs
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Continuous Fiber Thermoplastic Prepreg Unidirectional Tapes
- High strength and high stiffness
- Lightweight
- Fast Processing
- Recyclability
Thermoplastic prepregs are advanced composite materials made from continuous reinforcing fibers (such as carbon, glass, or aramid fibers) pre-impregnated in a thermoplastic resin matrix. Unidirectional (UD) continuous fibers are laid uniformly in a single direction and firmly impregnated with the resin, resulting in extremely high tensile and flexural strength in the fiber direction. These UD tapes are designed for high-performance applications due to their superior mechanical properties, recyclability, and processing advantages.
Structural Diagram
Performance Advantages
☑ High strength and high stiffness
Thermoplastic prepregs are reinforced with continuous fibers, which have superior mechanical properties, making them resistant to wear, pressure, and breakage.
☑ Lightweight
Typically with a density of around 1.6g/cm³, these materials are widely used in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and sports equipment, where reducing weight without compromising strength is crucial.
☑ Fast Processing
Thermoplastic prepregs do not require curing, as thermosets do. Instead, they are compacted and formed by applying heat and pressure, which reduces production cycles and increases manufacturing output.
☑ Recyclability
Unlike thermoset prepregs, thermoplastic prepregs can be reheated, reshaped, and recycled, contributing to more sustainable manufacturing practices.
Specifications
| Fiber Type | Glass fiber. Carbon fiber. Aramid Fiber. |
| Fiber Content | 50% – 70%. |
| Resin Types | PP(Polypropylene). |
| PPS(Polyphenylene Sulfide). | |
| PE (Polyethylene). | |
| PA (Polyamide). | |
| PEI (Polyetherimide). | |
| PC (Polycarbonate). | |
| PEEK(polyetheretherketone). | |
| PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate). | |
| PSU (Polysulfone). | |
| Color | Black, amber, natural. |
| Core Selection | 3 inches, 6 inches. |
| UD Tape Thickness | 0.15mm – 0.40mm. |
| Coil Width | 10mm – 650mm. |
| Area Weight | 240g/㎡ – 600g/㎡. |
| Length Selection | 1000m/roll, 1500m/roll, 2000m/roll, other lengths can be customized. |
Explore the Thermoplastic Prepreg Series
Production Process of Thermoplastic Prepreg Tape
The most common preparation process is melt impregnation. Fibers are drawn from a fully automated tensioned fiber unwinder and passed through a mechanical unwinding and heating mechanism to evenly spread and preheat the fibers. Simultaneously, a resin melt metering extruder melts the thermoplastic resin. The extruded, high-temperature resin comes into contact with the fibers in the melt impregnation die, fully impregnating the fibers with the resin. The fibers then pass through cooling rollers for cooling and shaping, pass through a waste trimming device, and finally are wound up by a winder to produce a continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic unidirectional tape.
Resin Type
PEEK (Polyetheretherketone)
PEEK (polyetheretherketone) is commonly used in demanding engineering applications and has excellent mechanical properties and chemical resistance even at high temperatures.
PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
PET thermoplastic material is easy to recycle, non-toxic, odorless, and particularly environmentally friendly. It also provides excellent mechanical properties.
PP (Polypropylene )
Polypropylene thermoplastic resin has good chemical and heat resistance. It is an affordable matrix material with a relatively low price.
PA (Polyamide)
This resin has high strength and wear resistance and is resistant to high temperatures.
PE (Polyethylene)
This resin has good resistance to chemicals such as acids, alkalis, and salts.
PPS (Polyphenylene Sulfide)
It is a high-performance thermoplastic engineering plastic. Due to its unique molecular structure, it is widely used in industrial fields that require high temperature and high chemical resistance.
PEI (Polyetherimide)
PEI is ideal for demanding applications that require high thermal stability, strength and durability.
PC (Polycarbonate)
PC material has a high heat deformation temperature, can maintain its stable performance at high temperatures, and is not prone to deformation.
PSU (Polysulfone)
PSU material provides excellent mechanical properties, and its strength and rigidity can be well maintained in high and low temperature environments.
Fiber Type
Glass Fiber
Glass fiber has good strength, rigidity and chemical resistance, and is a commonly used reinforcement material.
Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber is lighter, more rigid and has better conductivity than glass fiber.
Aramid Fiber
This fiber has extremely high strength and toughness, and is heat and wear resistant.
Thermoplastic Composite Laminates
The thermoplastic prepreg is cut and stacked according to the design angle requirements, then heated to a certain temperature by a heater, and then a certain pressure is applied in a press, and the pressure is maintained at a certain temperature for a suitable time, and finally cooled to form a laminated sheet. This thermoplastic composite laminate has a larger area and thicker thickness. Learn More
TOPOLOGROUP – Expert in Thermoplastic Composites
As a leading manufacturer of high-performance thermoplastic prepregs in China, TOPOLOGROUP’s independently developed core technologies continue to provide global companies with thermoplastic unidirectional prepreg tapes and thermoplastic composite sheets for a wide range of applications, helping customers create more efficient and environmentally friendly solutions.
Applications
Amidst the growing global demand for high-performance composite materials, thermoplastic prepregs, with their core advantages of lightweighting, high molding efficiency, and recyclability, have become key materials in aerospace, new energy vehicles, high-end equipment, and other fields.
Box trucks
Thermoplastic composite cross-laminated sheets can be used for the inner and outer skins of box truck body composite panels to replace metal skins, which can improve the strength and deformation resistance of the box body and reduce weight.
Shipbuildings
Thermoplastic prepreg tapes provide good thermoforming properties and can be precisely laid and formed according to the design requirements of the yacht, enabling complex hull exterior shapes to be achieved.
Recreational vehicles
Recreational vehicle bodies built with thermoplastic composite panels are stronger and more durable than those built with thermoset FRP composite panels.
Aerospace field
- Prepreg unidirectional tapes are widely used in aircraft manufacturing due to their light weight, high strength, fatigue resistance, high temperature resistance and other characteristics. They can be used to manufacture aircraft wings, fuselage structural parts, and tail fins.
Automotive industry
- In automobile manufacturing, prepreg unidirectional tapes are mainly used to reduce weight and improve component performance. They can be used to make automobile body frames, chassis parts, engine hoods, doors, etc.
Medical devices
- Due to the fact that some thermoplastic matrices (thermoplastic unidirectional tapes can also be used to make the shells and structural parts of medical equipment, meeting their requirements for strength, corrosion resistance and hygiene. For example, PEEK materials have good biocompatibility and can be used to make orthopedic implants, such as bone plates, bone nails, spinal fusion devices, etc.
Sporting goods
- Prepreg unidirectional tapes can be used to make golf clubs, pickle paddles, tennis rackets, bicycle frames, skis, etc. By taking advantage of its light weight, high strength and high elasticity, it can improve the performance of sports equipment and enable athletes to perform at a better level.
Electronic equipment
- Prepreg unidirectional tapes can be used to make the shells, brackets and heat dissipation components of electronic equipment. Its good mechanical properties can protect the internal electronic components from external impact, and some thermoplastic resins have good insulation and processing properties, which are suitable for the manufacturing requirements of electronic equipment.
Energy field
- In wind power generation, prepreg unidirectional tapes can be used to make wind turbine blades. In the field of oil and gas extraction, it can be used to make corrosion-resistant parts such as pipes and valves to meet the requirements of use in harsh environments.