Computer Simulation of Resin Flow through the Bleeder in the Autoclave Curing Process

Abstract

In the autoclave curing process of phenolic resin composite at high pressure, uncured resin usually flows into the vacuum pipe through improperly used bleeder and blocks the vacuum orifice. Therefore, there are too many defects formed in the as-prepared composite because not all volatiles can be expelled from the laminate. In order to choosing or manufacturing the bleeder used in this special condition, the resin flow in the bleeder should be carefully investigated. However, the resin flow in the bleeder cannot be observed directly during the autoclave curing process, computer simulation is employed to describe the flow in the bleeder. The simulation results show that i) the resin flow near the vacuum orifice is quite different compared to that far away from the vacuum orifice, the resin can flow through the bleeder near the vacuum orifice within a shorter time; ii) a bleeder made from needle-punched nonwoven material with low porosity, small fibre diameter and small permeability could prevent the resin from flowing into the vacuum pipe in the autoclave curing process.