Abstract
In order to prepare a carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composite (CFRP) with ideal microstructure and properties, a new vacuum pressure infiltration CFRP method is proposed based on an analysis of existing CFRP preparation process methods. Research on composite material preparation systems was carried out by using this new method principle. The system mainly includes a fiber pre-forming module, a vacuum heating infiltration module, a hot-press curing molding module, and a data acquisition control module. Under the conditions of natural curing at 0 MPa + 6 h + 25 °C, vacuum heating curing at –0.05 MPa + 30 min + 80 °C, and hot-press curing at 0.7 MPa + 5 min + 50 °C, a two-dimensional (2D) CFRP with excellent microstructure and properties was successfully prepared. Observing the microstructure of the prepared composite material, it can be found that the inside of the composite material was sufficiently and uniformly infiltrated, and common preparation defects such as holes and delamination were effectively controlled. Through the performance test, the bending strength of the material reached 790 MPa.
Highlights
Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) are widely used in the aerospace industry, weapons and equipment, transportation, electronic communications, and other fields due to their high specific strength and specific modulus, high-temperature resistance, chemical corrosion resistance, high thermal conductivity, and many other excellent properties [1,2,3]
There were some new process preparation methods produced by improving the traditional ones, such as laser-cured automatic fiber placement molding, ultrasonic rapid curing molding, and electron beam curing molding [4,5,6]
Polymers 2020, 12, 419 consumption, which cannot meet the current composite material manufacturing concept of low cost and pollution. Compared with these process methods, the compression molding (CM) process has the advantages of low cost, low internal stress of the product, and easy control of the process [11], but it is easy to be limited in size when preparing composite material, and the lack of resin-filled mold capabilities leads to a poor final infiltration effect
Summary
Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) are widely used in the aerospace industry, weapons and equipment, transportation, electronic communications, and other fields due to their high specific strength and specific modulus, high-temperature resistance, chemical corrosion resistance, high thermal conductivity, and many other excellent properties [1,2,3]. In the existing preparation methods of CFRP, the RTM process can form complex and high-precision components, and it has the advantages of high preparation efficiency, low pollution, and strong process adaptability [7,8]. Polymers 2020, 12, 419 consumption, which cannot meet the current composite material manufacturing concept of low cost and pollution Compared with these process methods, the CM process has the advantages of low cost, low internal stress of the product, and easy control of the process [11], but it is easy to be limited in size when preparing composite material, and the lack of resin-filled mold capabilities leads to a poor final infiltration effect.
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