Pressure distribution analysis of fiber reinforced plastic components made by rubber pressure moulding technique

Abstract

AbstractFiber reinforced plastic component (FRP) having complex shaped geometry is prepared by rubber pressure molding (RPM) technique. The technique is based on the matching die set, where the die is made of hard metal like steel and the punch from flexible rubber like materials. The flexible rubber punch intensifies and uniformly redistributes pressure (both operating pressure and developed hydrostatic pressure due to the flexible rubber punch) over the surface of product. The distribution of pressure was analyzed by ANSYS over a processing pressure of 0.5–50 MPa. The analysis was extended to find out the optimum hardness of rubber mold, where the pressure distribution is uniform. For this, analysis was carried out for NR vulcanizates where the loading of carbon black was varied from 0 to 75 phr with an increment of 15 phr. The strain energy density function of 2‐, 3‐, 5‐ and 9 parameter Mooney‐Rivlin; 1st‐, 2nd‐, and 3rd order Ogden; Neo‐Hookean; 1st‐, 2nd‐, and 3rd order Polynomial; Arruda‐Boyce; 1st‐, 2nd‐, and 3rd order Yeoh; and Gent were used. 45phr carbon black loading NR vulcanizate shows best result. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007