Improvement of the Compressive Strength of Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composites via Microwave Curing

Xu, Xuehong; Wang, Xiaoqun; Cai, Qun; Wang, Xu; Wei, Ran; Du, Shiyu

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2015.10.006

Cited by 52 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Polymer/PPO-GNR However, several studies have conducted on successful (without degradation) accelerated curing of epoxy resins by means of controlled microwave heating [29,30,33,66,[90][91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98]. As reported in [99] microwave heating offers distinctive advantage of having a controlled selective and volumetric heating at a reduced duration compared to thermal rapid heating which is a time and energy consuming process.…”

Section: Fibre Optic Sensingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accelerated microwave curing of fibre-reinforced thermoset polymer composites for structural applications: A review of scientific challenges

Mgbemena

Lin

et al. 2018

Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing

123

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Accelerated curing of high performance fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites via microwave heating or radiation, which can significantly reduce cure time and increase energy efficiency, has several major challenges (e.g. uneven depth of radiation penetration, reinforcing fibre shielding, uneven curing, introduction of hot spots etc). This article reviews the current scientific challenges with microwave curing of FRP composites considering the underlying physics of microwave radiation absorption in thermoset-matrix composites. The fundamental principles behind efficient accelerated curing of composites using microwave radiation heating are reviewed and presented, especially focusing on the relation between penetration depth, microwave frequency, dielectric properties and cure degree. Based on this review, major factors influencing microwave curing of thermoset-matrix composites are identified, and recommendations for efficient cure cycle design are provided.

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Section: Fibre Optic Sensingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accelerated microwave curing of fibre-reinforced thermoset polymer composites for structural applications: A review of scientific challenges

Mgbemena

Lin

et al. 2018

Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing

123

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“…Kwak [14] showed that a carbon fiber composite material manufactured with microwave curing showed increased compression strength of about 82% compared to conventional curing methods. Xu [15] confirmed that, compared to thermal curing, using microwaves to cure carbon fiber composite materials decreased the curing time by 39%, while increasing the compression strength by 22%. Moreover, that study compared the strengths of specimens manufactured by autoclave curing and microwave curing [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Considering the internal size of the microwave curing equipment (VHM 180/200, Vötsch Industrietechnik corp., Reiskirchen, Germany), three types of specimens (10,15, and 20 plies) were manufactured to check the curing characteristics according to the thickness of the composite laminates, as shown in Figure 3. Four FBG (FBGKOREA corp., Daejeon, South Korea) temperature sensors were inserted at three points along the thickness direction of each specimen, as shown in Table 1.…”

Section: Manufacturing Of Composite Laminates With Inserted Fbg Sensorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microwave Curing Characteristics of CFRP Composite Depending on Thickness Variation Using FBG Temperature Sensors

et al. 2020

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Microwave curing technology, which has seen increased commercialization recently due to its ability to cut the curing time and ensure high quality, requires an understanding of the curing characteristics of composite materials of varying thickness. Therefore, this study aimed to perform cure monitoring to evaluate the effects of variations in thickness on the quality of microwave curing. For this study, a fiber Bragg grating sensor was used to measure temperature changes in specimens during the curing cycle for cure monitoring which is generally used for optimization of the curing cycle; then, the time taken for temperature increase and overshoot of the specimen, and the times at which the specimen thickness varied, were quantitatively evaluated. Testing confirmed that microwave curing reduced the curing time in the sections in which the temperature rose; also, the specimen thickness caused overshoot of up to approximately 40 °C at the side, which can affect the curing quality of the composite materials. Furthermore, voids were observed on the side of all specimens. The results indicated that, in order to improve the quality of microwave curing of composite materials, the curing cycle should be optimized by considering the characteristics of the microwave curing equipment.

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“…In addition, the chemical structures of polymers cured by VFM were identical to those of conventionally thermal curing [20,[22][23]. The enhancement of mechanical properties of thermosets and polymer composites by MW curing was partly due to the enhancement of crosslink densities, glass transition temperature (Tg) and better interfacial bonding between the matrix and the reinforcing fibers [23][24][25][26]. A slight difference in molecular structure of MW cured carbon fiber/epoxy composite was observed and hypothesized as a cause of Tg increment though the percent cure were comparable, resulting in the improvement in specific compressive strength of the composites [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…The enhancement of mechanical properties of thermosets and polymer composites by MW curing was partly due to the enhancement of crosslink densities, glass transition temperature (Tg) and better interfacial bonding between the matrix and the reinforcing fibers [23][24][25][26]. A slight difference in molecular structure of MW cured carbon fiber/epoxy composite was observed and hypothesized as a cause of Tg increment though the percent cure were comparable, resulting in the improvement in specific compressive strength of the composites [24]. It was speculated that while carbon nanotubes obstructed polymer chain movement and hence impeded crosslinking during thermal heating, microwave energy preferentially heated the carbon nanotubes imbedded in the composites and allowed the epoxy to crosslink around the carbon nanotube/epoxy interfaces, causing higher crosslink density and Tg of the MW cured composites [21,25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of Conventional and Variable Frequency Microwave Curing of SU8 Photoresist: Effects on the Dielectric, Thermal, and Morphological Properties

Wattanachai

Antonio

2016

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Abstract. Variable Frequency Microwave (VFM) is known to be a rapid, volumetric, and selective form of heating which has shown potential as an alternative technique for the processing of negative-tone SU8 photoresist in the Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) industry. A comparison of thermal properties of the films cured during the softbake and post exposure bake process using different techniques, i.e. conventional thermal curing, VFM curing, and a combination of both (referred to as hybrid, HY), was investigated using a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). A significant increase on the degree of cure (between 13-23%) was observed using the VFM over the hybrid and hotplate curing which means that SU8 curing at lower temperatures or rapid curing is possible. The increase in cure rates can be attributed to a combination of heat transfer and the unique capability of microwave to couple with the sample (selective heating). The improvement in curing at the same processing temperatures has important implications for processing thick films. It was found that regardless of curing methods, crosslink densities increased as the baking temperature increased, resulting in lower dielectric properties. Despite higher crosslinking contents, VFM cured samples decomposed at 2-4°C lower temperatures. In addition to better thermal properties, VFM offered satisfactory microstructure at lower curing temperatures; however, high processing temperatures could result in film cracking.

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Improvement of the Compressive Strength of Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composites via Microwave Curing

Cited by 52 publications

References 28 publications

Accelerated microwave curing of fibre-reinforced thermoset polymer composites for structural applications: A review of scientific challenges

Accelerated microwave curing of fibre-reinforced thermoset polymer composites for structural applications: A review of scientific challenges

Microwave Curing Characteristics of CFRP Composite Depending on Thickness Variation Using FBG Temperature Sensors

Comparison of Conventional and Variable Frequency Microwave Curing of SU8 Photoresist: Effects on the Dielectric, Thermal, and Morphological Properties

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