Characterisation of a Reinforced PPS Thermoplastic Laminate For Forming Simulations

Abstract

Continuous fibre Reinforced Thermoplastic Laminate (RTL) composites are an attractive alternative to materials currently being used in lightweight aircraft structures. Their potential rapid-processing capabilities have attracted lots of attention and several manufacturing methods have been developed over the last decade [1]. Among these techniques, press forming, adapted from a process used for metal forming, has received considerable industrial interest in recent years: rubber pad forming has been the most widely used method. CRC-ACS is developing rubber pad forming of RTL and has used PAM-FORM™[2] to carry out forming simulations to assist in the understanding of the effects of process conditions and in the design of forming tools and processes. This paper reports results from bias-extension tests carried out to characterise the in-plane shear behaviour of PPS-RTL at different processing temperatures and rates. From these results some of the essential material input data for forming simulations such as viscosity, shear modulus, and locking angle can be derived. Detailed discussion on the effects of forming temperatures and forming rates on the flow behaviour of the PPS-RTL is also presented.