Carbon fiber-filled sheet molding compound and method of manufacturing same

Abstract

The present invention involves a carbon fiber-filled sheet molding compound and method of manufacturing the same. The invention comprises providing chopped automotive carbon fibers, a predetermined resin paste, a first carrier film, and a second carrier film. The method further involves coating substantially completely one side of one of the first and second carrier films with the predetermined resin paste to define a coated side, depositing the chopped automotive carbon fibers onto the coated side, and covering the deposited carbon fibers with the second carrier film to define a compactible carbon-filled laminate. The method further includes compacting the carbon-filled laminate to admix the resin paste with the carbon fibers between the films, whereby to form the automotive carbon fiber-filled sheet molding compound.

1 - 10 . (canceled)  
   
   
       11 . An automotive carbon-filled sheet molding compound having light weight, high stiffness and strength, the compound manufactured by the process of providing chopped conductive commercial carbon fibers a predetermined resin paste, a first carrier film and a second carrier film spreading the predetermined resin paste onto the carrier films to coat the first and second carrier films, depositing the chopped conductive commercial carbon fibers onto the resin paste of one of the coated carrier films, covering the deposited carbon fibers with the resin paste of the other of the coated carrier films to define a molding carbon-filled sheet; and compacting the molding carbon-filled sheet to admix the resin paste with the carbon fibers forming the carbon-filled sheet molding compound.  
   
   
       12 . An automotive carbon-filled compound being light weight and having high stiffness and strength, the carbon-filled compound produced by the process of manufacturing sheet molding compound.  
   
   
       13 . (canceled)