Efficient polymerization and crystallization kinetics coupling of polyamide 6 synthesis for liquid composite molding process modeling

Abstract

Variabilities in polyamide 6 (PA6) composite manufacturing by liquid processes can occur due to polymerization, crystallization, and flow through a fibrous preform. Numerical simulations of the process predicting the kinetics can facilitate manufacturing optimization. This study proposes an efficient modeling approach that can be integrated in current simulation discretization methods such as the finite volume method (FVM) while considering the interaction between PA6 polymerization and crystallization. Using polymerization and crystallization models issued from the literature, a previous study determined Hillier coupling method to be able to predict PA6 kinetics. A simpler and more efficient coupling will be introduced and adapted to account for process variability. It was integrated into an FVM framework for process simulation of injection showcasing the capabilities of the model to predict potential crystallization discrepancies.