Mechanical Properties of GFRP Laminates Manufactured by Process Combined with Wet Lay-Up and Vacuum Curing

Abstract

In this study, a manufacturing process for glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) laminates was developed to improve volume fraction of fibers and mechanical properties. The manufacturing process is combination with wet lay-up and vacuum curing under atmosphere pressure for production of large and complicated structure as a leisure boat and so on. Several kinds of GFRP laminates were produced to consider optimum conditions of the process from viewpoint of volume fraction of fibers and mechanical properties. Volume fractions of fibers in GFRP laminates were measured and cross sections were observed by an optical microscope. The volume fraction in the GFRP laminate made by the suggested method was improved to 41 %, although the one made by conventional wet lay-up method was 17.7 %. Because a lot of large voids included in the laminates were drastically decreased due to the methods. For each laminate, three-point bending test was performed to measure elastic modulus and fracture toughness. Elastic modulus was improved from 5.39 GPa to 8.91 GPa with high volume fractions of fibers. Fracture toughness was improved from 8.19 MPa m1/2 to 16.6 MPa m1/2. Therefore, it was obtained that the method combined with wet lay-up and vacuum curing is easy process for manufacturing large and complicated structure to improve excellent mechanical properties and accuracy of structural shape.