Thermo-Chemical Analysis of the Cure Process of Thick Polymer Composite Structures for Industrial Applications

Abstract

This study contributes to the understanding of the thermo-chemical processes occurring in the cure of polymer composites, especially in thick structures. During the manufacturing process, thermo-chemical properties of the material undergo considerable changes and are affected by a high number of factors. Therefore, the main part of this analysis is the improvement of the strategy and the experimental study of the material properties behavior during the manufacturing process of the polymer composite. The thermo-chemical properties, simulation of the cure process and the calculation of the optimal production cycle of thick polymer composite structures are executed by a specialized computer-measuring system. The results of the study of the thermo-chemical properties during the curing of polymer composites and optimal cure cycles for industrial applications of thick structures manufacturing are presented.