Abstract
The curing kinetics can influence the final macroscopic properties, particularly the three-point bending of the fiber-reinforced composite materials. In this research, the curing kinetics of commercially available glass fiber/epoxy resin prepregs were studied by non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The curing kinetic parameters were obtained by fitting and the apparent activation energy Ea of the prepreg, the pre-exponent factor, and the reaction order value obtained. A phenomenological nth-order curing reaction kinetic model was established according to Kissinger equation and Crane equation. Furthermore, the optimal curing temperature of the prepregs was obtained by the T-β extrapolation method. A vacuum hot pressing technique was applied to prepare composite laminates. The pre-curing, curing, and post-curing temperatures were 116, 130, and 153 °C respectively. In addition, three-point bending was used to test the specimens’ fracture behavior, and the surface morphology was analyzed. The results show that the differences in the mechanical properties of the samples are relatively small, indicating that the process settings are reasonable.
Highlights
Glass fiber reinforced composites have remained interesting for academia as well as industry due to their outstanding properties, i.e., lightweight, fatigue resistance, corrosion resistance, high specific strength, and easy manufacturing techniques, as well as reasonable cost compared to other fiber-reinforced composites [1,2]
E-glass fiber/epoxy resin prepreg is an intermediate for the manufacture of composite materials [4]
As the curing process parameters have a crucial influence on the quality of composite products, we focused on the curing kinetics of epoxy resin
Summary
Glass fiber reinforced composites have remained interesting for academia as well as industry due to their outstanding properties, i.e., lightweight, fatigue resistance, corrosion resistance, high specific strength, and easy manufacturing techniques, as well as reasonable cost compared to other fiber-reinforced composites [1,2]. The epoxy resin in a B-level semi-cured state can be cured under a specific temperature and pressure to obtain composite products This manufacturing method can significantly improve production efficiency but has high requirements for the rationality of the curing process design [5]. The phenomenological method is semi-empirical curing, i.e., the kinetic model It mainly studies the overall reaction and obtains the kinetic parameters through a mathematical simulation from the empirical equation. The composite laminates were prepared by the vacuum hot pressing process, and three-point bending was used to test the difference in mechanical properties between different samples This method is of great significance to guide the actual production; it can quickly obtain the best curing temperature range of the resin and quickly check its quality
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