The effects of material and process variables on glass fabric-reinforced epoxy composites by the resin-transfer molding (RTM) process were studied. It was found that the molded aged resin with 55% fiber exhibited twice the mold-filling time and caused a 7-15% deterioration in the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and in the flexural strength of the composites as compared to those of the composites molded with fresh resin. At a 55% fiber volume fraction, composites molded with aged resin resulted in a 35% longer filling time and a 4 -12% decreased ILSS and flexural strength as compared to those of the composites at a 44% fiber volume fraction. Moldings with a perimeter inlet exhibited a 65% shorter mold-filling time, 28% reduced void content, and 6% improved flexural strength as compared to those of the composites molded with the center inlet.

The effects of processing variables on the mechanical behavior and the void content of one‐part epoxy based glass fabric composites produced by resin transfer molding (RTM) were investigated. The variables studied included injection pressure, injection temperature, and fabric structure. Image analysis was used to measure the void content in the composites. Variations in injection pressure and temperature were found to have a significant effect on the quality and the mechanical performance of composites. The optimized physical and mechanical performance of the composites was obtained by processing the resin at 160°C under 392 kPa pressure. Molding of highly permeable EF420 fabric required a shorter mold filling time, but resulted in reduced flexural strength and storage modulus in the resulting composites as compared with that of the composites containing 1581 fabric.

The curing kinetics and the resulting viscosity change of a two-part epoxy/ amine resin during the mold-filling process of resin-transfer molding (RTM) of composites was investigated. The curing kinetics of the epoxy/amine resin was analyzed in both the dynamic and the isothermal modes with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The dynamic viscosity of the resin at the same temperature as in the mold-filling process was measured. The curing kinetics of the resin was described by a modified Kamal kinetic model, accounting for the autocatalytic and the diffusion-control effect. An empirical model correlated the resin viscosity with temperature and the degree of cure was obtained. Predictions of the rate of reaction and the resulting viscosity change by the modified Kamal model and by the empirical model agreed well with the experimental data, respectively, over the temperature range 50 -80°C and up to the degree of cure ␣ ϭ 0.4, which are suitable for the mold-filling stage in the RTM process.

The cure kinetics of a high performance PR500 epoxy resin in the temperature range of 160–197°C for the resin transfer molding (RTM) process have been investigated. The thermal analysis of the curing kinetics of PR500 resin was carried out by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), with the ultimate heat of reaction measured in the dynamic mode and the rate of cure reaction and the degree of cure being determined under isothermal conditions. A modified Kamal's kinetic model was adapted to describe the autocatalytic and diffusion‐controlled curing behavior of the resin. A reasonable agreement between the experimental data and the kinetic model has been obtained over the whole processing temperature range, including the mold filling and the final curing stages of the RTM process.