SHAPINGPROCESSESFOR POLYMERMATRIXCOMPOSITES

StartingMaterialsforPMCs OpenMoldProcesses ClosedMoldProcesses FilamentWinding Pultrusion Processes OtherPMCShapingProcesses

O i of fPMC Overview
y p p Ap polymer matrixcomposite (PMC)isacomposite material consistingofapolymerimbeddedwithareinforcingphase suchasfibersorpowdersInaPMC,thestartingmaterials are:
Apolymer Areinforcingphase

Theyareprocessedseparatelybeforebecomingphasesin

thecomposite
FRPcompositescanbedesignedwithveryhigh

strength t thto t weight i ht and dmodulus d l to t weight i ht ratios ti Thesefeaturesmakethemattractiveinaircraft,cars,trucks, boats,andsportsequipment

PolymerMatrix
Thermosetting (TS)polymersarethemost

commonmatrixmaterials theprincipalTS polymersare:

Phenolics usedwithparticulatereinforcingphases Polyestersandepoxies morecloselyassociatedwith

FRP FRPs

Thermoplastic moldingcompoundsarecomposite

materialsthatincludefillersorreinforcingagents Mostelastomers arecompositematerialsbecause nearly yallrubbersarereinforcedwithcarbonblack

ReinforcingAgent
Possiblegeometries fibers,particles,andflakes Possiblematerials ceramics,metals,otherpolymers,

orelementssuchascarbonorboron Particlesandflakesareusedinmanyplasticmolding compounds Ofmostengineeringinterestistheuseoffibersasthe reinforcingphase C Common fiber fib materials: t i l glass, l carbon, b and dKevlar K l (a ( polymer) They ycanbeshortorlong gbasedonrequirement q

Prepregs
FibersimpregnatedwithpartiallycuredTSresinsto facilitateshapeprocessing Available A il bl astapesorcrossplied li d sheets h orf fabrics bi Curingiscompletedduringand/oraftershaping Advantage: Ad prepregs arefabricated f bi dwith i hcontinuous i filamentsratherthanchoppedrandomfibers,thus increasingstrengthandmodulus Moldcompounds shortfibers

Classification of manufacturing processes for FRP

O M ldP Open Mold Processes

a yo ap gp ocessest atuseas g e Family ofFRPs shaping processes that single positiveornegativemoldsurfacetoproducelaminated FRPstructures Thestartingmaterials(resins,fibers,mats,andwoven rovings)areappliedtothemoldinlayers,buildingup tothedesiredthickness Thisisfollowedbycuringandpartremoval Commonresinsareunsaturatedpolyestersand epoxies,usingfiberglassasthereinforcement

Handlayup:(1)moldistreatedwithmoldreleaseagent;(2)thingel coat(resin, (resin colored)isapplied applied,tobetheoutsidesurfaceofmolding; (3)whengelcoathaspartiallyset,layersofresinandfiberare applied,thefiberisintheformofmatorcloth;eachlayerisrolledto impregnatethefiberwithresinandremoveair;(4)partiscured;(5) f ll hardened fully h d dparti isremoved df frommold ld

OpenMoldFRPProcesses
1. Handlayup 2. Sprayup 3. Automatedtapelaying machines Thedifferencesareinthemethodsofapplyingthe

laminations l i i tothe h mold, ld alternative l i curing i techniques,andotherdifferences

Inadditiontoboathulls, hulls otherapplicationsinclude: swimmingpools,largecontainertanks,stageprops,radomes, andotherformedsheets

S U Method M th d Spray Up
Liquidresinandchoppedfibersaresprayedontoan openmoldtobuildsuccessiveFRPlaminations Itisanattempttomechanizeapplicationofresinfiber layersandreducelayuptime Itisanalternativeforstep(3)inthehandlayup procedure

Automatedtapelaying machine (courtesy ( yCincinnatiMilacron) )

CuringinOpenMoldProcesses
Curingisrequiredofallthermosettingresinsusedin

FRPlaminatedcomposites Curing C i crosslinks li k the h polymer, l transforming f i it i f from itsliquidorhighlyplasticconditionintoahardened product Threeprincipalprocessparametersincuring:
Time 2. Temperature 3. Pressure
1.

CuringMethodsthatUseHeating
Ovencuring providesheatatcloselycontrolled

temperatures;somecuringovensareequippedtodraw apartialvacuum Infraredheating canbeusedinapplicationswhereitis impracticaltoplacethemoldinginanoven Curinginanautoclave providescontroloverboth temperatureandpressure

Autoclave anenclosedchamberequippedtoapplyheat

and/orpressureatcontrolledlevels InFRPcompositesprocessing,itisusuallyalarge h i horizontal t lcylinder li d with ithdoors d at teither ith end d

ClosedMoldProcesses
Performedinmoldsconsistingoftwosectionsthat

openandcloseeachmoldingcycle Advantagesofaclosedmoldare: (1) goodfinishonallpartsurfaces, surfaces (2) closercontrolovertolerances,and (3) morecomplexthreedimensional shapesarepossible
Threeclassesbasedontheircounterpartsin conventionalp plasticmolding: g 1. Compressionmolding 2. Transfermolding 3 Injectionmolding 3.

C i PMCProcesses P Compression
Compressionmolding:Achargeisplacedinthe lowermoldsection,andthesectionsarebrought togetherunderpressure,causingthechargetotakethe shapeofthecavity
Transfermolding:Achargeofthermosettingresinwith shortfibersisplacedinapotorchamber, chamber heated heated,and squeezedbyramactionintooneormoremoldcavities Injection I j ti M Molding ldi Conventionalinjectionmolding Reinforcedreactioninjectionmolding

ReinforcedReactionInjection Molding
Reactioninjectionmolding (RIM) tworeactive ingredientsaremixedandinjectedintoamold cavitywherecuringandsolidificationoccurdueto chemical h i lreaction i rather h than h heat h Reinforcedreactioninjectionmolding (RRIM)isa closelyrelatedprocessthatincludesreinforcing fibers,typicallyglass,inthemixture Advantages:similartoRIM(e.g.,noheatenergy required, i d l lowercost tmold), ld) with ithth theadded dd db benefit fit offiberreinforcement Products: oducts:autobodya and dtruck t uc cabapplications app cat o sfor o bumpers,fenders,andotherbodyparts

Resinimpregnated continuousfibersarewrappedarounda rotatingmandrelthathastheinternalshapeofthedesiredFRP product;theresinisthencuredandthemandrelremoved Thefiberrovings arepulledthrougharesinbathimmediately before be o ebe being gwound ou dinahelical e ca patte patterno onto tot the emandrel a d e Theoperationisrepeatedtoformadditionallayers,eachhaving acrisscrosspatternwiththeprevious,untilthedesiredpart thicknesshasbeenobtained

FilamentWinding

(a)Helical(b)polar

PultrusionProcesses
Similartoextrusion(hencethenamesimilarity)but workpieceispulledthroughdie(soprefix"pul"in placeof"ex ex") ) Likeextrusion,pultrusionproducescontinuous straightsectionsofconstantcrosssection Developedaround1950formakingfishingrodsof glassfiberreinforcedpolymer g p y (GFRP) Arelatedprocess,calledpulforming,isusedtomake partsthatarecurvedandwhichmayhavevariationsin crosssection i throughout h h their h i l lengths h

Pultrusion
Continuousfiberrovingsaredippedintoaresinbath andpulledthroughashapingdiewherethe impregnatedresincures Thesectionsproducedarereinforcedthroughouttheir lengthbycontinuousfibers Likeextrusion,thepieceshaveaconstant crosssection,whosep profileisdeterminedby ythe shapeofthedieopening Thecuredproductiscutintolongstraightsections

Pultrusion p process

Pulforming
Pultrusionwithadditionalstepstoformthelengthinto asemicircularcontourandalterthecrosssectionat oneormorelocationsalongthelength Pultrusionislimitedtostraightsectionsofconstant crosssection Thereisalsoaneedforlongpartswithcontinuous fiberreinforcementthatarecurvedratherthan straightandwhosecrosssectionsmayvary throughoutlength
Pulforming P lf i i issuited i dtothese h less l regular l shapes h

Pulforming process

OtherPMCShapingProcesses
Centrifugalcasting Tuberolling