Contribution to the numerical study of the thermal gradient during the fabrication of composite materials by the RTM process.

Abstract

Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) has become one of the most efficient processes in the field of composite materials, among the steps in composite part processing is the curing reaction. In the majority of cases this reaction is of exothermic nature and accompanied by a rise in temperature in the center of the laminate, this leads to the appearance of a thermal gradient. This research work aims to highlight the thermal gradient generated as a result of a cross linking reaction. The objective is to reduce the temperature excess in the Polyester / Glass laminate. By means of a one-dimensional numerical study using the finite-difference method we have shown that the energy balance depends not only on the temperature and the degree of curing but also on several other factors namely: the volume fraction of the fibers and the temperature cycle. The comparison of the results with literature showed a good agreement.