Commingled Towpregs and Their Composites

Abstract

Commingled (COM) hybrid yarns being semi-finished material play a significant part in developing lightweight, high-performance thermoplastic composites. Compared to other hybrid yarn formation techniques, the commingling technique is versatile, economical, and produces soft, flexible, and drapable hybrid yarn. In addition, the COM yarns offer the best solution to overcome the high polymer resin viscosity associated problems by minimising the melt flow distance of liquid resin during composite consolidation. These unique features make the commingling technology more suitable in textile preforming to be used in high-performance composites. Therefore, the current chapter discusses methods of COM yarn production as well as their benefits in composite production. The chapter also highlights the influence of raw material, commingling process, and nozzle parameters on the yarn structure and properties. In addition, the chapter briefs about the different techniques available for characterising COM hybrid yarns. The consolidation mechanism of different COM yarn composites, along with their mechanical properties, are also discussed. In the end, a summary and future prospects associated with commingling technology and COM yarns are highlighted.