Experiment No: 6

VACUUM BAGGING PROCESS

Aim:
To prepare a composite material by vacuum bagging process

Apparatus:
 GFRP Mould
 Vacuum pump
 Resin catch-pot with pressure guage
 Laminate material (fiber glass, carbon fiber)
 Bagging materials
 Epoxy resin

Theory:
Vacuum bagging is a technique employed to create mechanical pressure on a laminate during its
cure cycle. Pressurizing a composite lamination serves several functions. First, it removes
trapped air between layers. Second, it compacts the fiber layers for efficient force transmission
among fiber bundles and prevents shifting of fiber orientation during cure. Third, it reduces
humidity. Finally, and most important, the vacuum bagging technique optimizes the fiber-to-
resin ratio in the composite part. These advantages have for years enabled aerospace and racing
industries to maximize the physical properties of advanced composite materials such as carbon,
aramid, and epoxy.

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Release Agent: A release agent (also mold release agent, release coating, or mold release
coating) is a chemical used to prevent other materials from bonding to surfaces. Release agents
provide the critical barrier between a molding surface and the substrate, facilitating separation of
the cured part from the mold. Without such a barrier in place, the substrate would become fused
to the mold surface, resulting in difficult clean-up and dramatic loss in production efficiency

Sealant Tape: Tape used to seal the bagging material, it helps to block air from entering and
going out of the vacuum

Peel Ply: Peel Ply, also called “Release Fabric,” is a synthetic cloth that you drape over your
epoxied surface as the epoxy sets up. Once cured, you can peel off the fabric, and what's left
behind is a perfectly smooth surface that's ready for a quick sanding, or for the next round of
epoxy.

Breather Cloth: Breather cloth is a 100% non-woven polyester fabric that is designed to allow
airflow throughout the vacuum bagging process as well as bleed out an excess resin in a
composite part. It allows great conformity around a composite part while under vacuum pressure.

Bagging Film: Bagging film is a high strength and flexible nylon material used to compact all
other bagging materials and laminate. Bagging film is a must-have for every vacuum bagging
lay-up in order to seal your lamination from air.

Epoxy Resin: Epoxy refers to any of the basic components or cured end products of epoxy
resins, as well as a colloquial name for the epoxide functional group.[1] Epoxy resins, also known
as polyepoxides, are a class of reactive prepolymers and polymers which contain epoxide groups.
Epoxy resins may be reacted (cross-linked) either with themselves through catalytic
homopolymerisation, or with a wide range of co-reactants including polyfunctional amines, acids
(and acid anhydrides), phenols, alcohols and thiols (usually called mercaptans). These co-
reactants are often referred to as hardeners or curatives, and the cross-linking reaction is
commonly referred to as curing.
Reaction of polyepoxides with themselves or with polyfunctional hardeners forms
a thermosetting polymer, often with favorable mechanical properties and high thermal and
chemical resistance.

Procedure:

1. Initially carry on the procedure of hand lay-up process

2. Place peel ply, breather cloth respectively on top of the laminate material
3. Paste sealant tape at the edges of the mould and paste the bagging film to the sealant tape
4. Make sure that there is no air leak in the setup
5. Connect the vacuum pump to resin catch-pot and in turn catch-pot is connected to bagging
setup with the help of vacuum hose and vacuum connector

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6. Switch on the vacuum pump, after some time all the air in the bagging is sucked and the
vacuum pressure will the uniformly acting throughout the mould
7. When the excess resin starts to collect in the catch-pot, clamp the vacuum line with line
clamp and switch off the vacuum pump
8. Leave the set up for curing
9. After curing is done remove the peel ply layer and gently remove the finished product from
the mould

Result:
The required composite material is prepared by vacuum bagging process

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