Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-m9pkr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-12T18:16:44.490Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Optical Measurement of Preform Impregnation in Resin Transfer Molding

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Thomas Nowak  and
Jung-Hoon Chun
Thomas Nowak
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
Jung-Hoon Chun
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
Get access

Abstract

Infiltration of preforms used to manufacture high-performance, advanced polymer composites can lead to void formation due to inhomogeneities within the preforms. Void formation occurs at three distinct length scales: the fiber, tow and part scales. Flow visualization experiments were used to characterize void formation at the tow and fiber scales. Effects of tow-scale inhomogeneities were studied by varying the warp angle of a woven fabric. Effects of fiber-scale inhomogeneities were studied using scale models of typical tows. The experiments indicate that minimization of void content requires a trade-off between fiberscale and tow-scale void formation.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 305: Symposium I – High-Performance Polymers and Polymer Matrix Composites , 1993 , 241
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Bruschke, M. V. and Advani, S. G., Polymer Composites 11 (6), 398–405 (1990).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2. Coulter, J. P. and Güçeri, S. I, Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites 7, 200–219 (1988).Google Scholar
3. Parnas, R. S. and Phelan, F. R., SAMPE Quarterly 22 (22), 53–60 (1991).Google Scholar
4. Trevino, L., et al., Polymer Composites 12 (1), 20–29 (1991).Google Scholar
5. Adams, K. L. and Rebenfeld, L., Polymer Composites 12 (3), 179–185 (1991).Google Scholar
6. Salem, A. J. and Parnas, R. S. in Proceedings of the ASC 6th Technical Conference on Composite Materials (1991).Google Scholar
7. Hayward, J. S. and Harris, B., Plastics and Rubber Processing and Applications 11, 191–198 (1989).Google Scholar
8. Patel, N. et al. in Proceedings of the SPE 49th Annual Technical Conference ANTEC '91 (1991) pp. 1985–1990 Google Scholar
9. Nowak, T. and Chun, J-H, to be published in Composites Manufacturing, 1993.Google Scholar
10. Ueda, S., M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1993.Google Scholar
11. Dussan, E. B.. V et al., J. Fluid Mech. 230, 97–116 (1991).Google Scholar