Different Production Processes for Thermoplastic Composite Materials: Sustainability versus Mechanical Properties and Processes Parameter

Abstract

Up to now, fiber-reinforced composites with thermoplastic matrix have seen limited fields of use in the structural scope due to their high viscosity in the molten state, which results in poor impregnability of the reinforcement, leading to mechanical properties of the finished product that are not comparable to those of thermosets. Although the latter still dominate the various sectors of automotive, aerospace, transportation and construction, new applications involving the production of thermoplastic composites are growing rapidly, offering new approaches to the solution of this problem. The aim of this work is to study and evaluate the state of the art on the manufacturing processes of thermoplastic matrix composite, analyzing the parameters that come into play and that most influence the process and material performance. The advantages of film stacking and powder impregnation techniques are contrasted by the versatility of hybrid fabrics and, at the same time, parameters such as pressure and temperature must be carefully considered. A description of different thermoplastic composite processes such as powder impregnation, film stacking molding, hybrid woven fabric, hybrid yarn and products follows, which represent the current possibilities to move from a thermosetting matrix composite to a thermoplastic one, upon which the concept of sustainability is based. This article wants to present an overview of research that has been done in manufacturing thermoplastic reinforced composites and will serve as a baseline and aid for further research and development efforts.

Waste Management of Wind Turbine Blades: A Comprehensive Review on Available Recycling Technologies with A Focus on Overcoming Potential Environmental Hazards Caused by Microplastic Production

“…Although thermosets are preferred in the construction of wind turbine systems, there is a growing trend in the implementation of thermoplastic resins for the design of new blades. Thermoplastic composites provide some advantages over thermosets, such as higher toughness, faster production, and their recyclable nature [77]. Temperature (thermal degradation), light (photodegradation), oxygen (oxidation), mechanical forces (mechanical degradation), various chemicals (chemical degradation), and biological factors (biological degradation) are the so-called environmental conditions under which plastic degradation can occur [13,73].…”

Composites based on polymeric blends reinforced with TiO2 modified aramid fibers

“…The need for processing at high temperature, the reduced compatibility with other polymer matrices, combined with the relatively high viscosity, make these thermoplastic polymers difficult to use for the manufacture of composite laminates. [20][21][22] For this reason, fiberreinforced composites based on thermoplastic matrices have limited areas of use in the structural field (automotive, aviation, transport, etc.) compared to thermoset matrices, which still dominate the market today (due to better mechanical and thermal properties but also the ease of processing in complex forms, through different methods, hand/wet lay-up technique, 23 vacuum bag infusion method, 24 etc.).…”

Development of single‐stream resin transfer molding using in‐situ anionic polymerization of ε‐caprolactam with preprocessing on carbon fibers

“…However, thermoplastic resins have a weakness in terms of low processability due to their high melting temperature, high glass transition temperature, and high viscosity. [6][7][8] To overcome these issues, researchers have studied thermoplastic resin transfer molding (T-RTM). 9 T-RTM utilizes anionic ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactam (CPL), which is a monomer of A-PA6.…”

“…In the context of global sustainability trends, the manufacturing process of composites has been studied using thermoplastic resins due to their recyclability advantage over thermoset resins. However, thermoplastic resins have a weakness in terms of low processability due to their high melting temperature, high glass transition temperature, and high viscosity 6–8 . To overcome these issues, researchers have studied thermoplastic resin transfer molding (T‐RTM) 9 …”