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A cure modelling study of an unsaturated polyester resin system for the simulation of curing of fibre-reinforced composites during the vacuum infusion process

A cure modelling study of an unsaturated polyester resin system for the simulation of curing of fibre-reinforced composites during the vacuum infusion process
A cure modelling study of an unsaturated polyester resin system for the simulation of curing of fibre-reinforced composites during the vacuum infusion process
This study presents the cure kinetics and cure modelling of an ambient curing unsaturated polyester (UP) resin system for its cure simulation in the vacuum infusion (VI) process. The curing of the UP resin system was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The dynamic DSC test measurements were conducted to find out the ultimate heat of reaction and enable experimental conversion determination for the isothermal curing. The empirical autocatalytic cure kinetics model incorporating the Arrhenius law represented the cure behaviour. The results of the cure kinetics study, the cure model, the material properties and the boundary conditions were the inputs in PAM-RTM software for the simulation of the degree of cure and the exothermic temperature during the infusion and the room temperature curing stages. The simulation results were compared with experimentally measured data. A vacuum infusion (VI) experiment involving a non-crimp glass fibre preform was performed in order to monitor the curing using thermocouples and validate the temperature simulation result. It was shown that the degree of cure and the exothermic temperature of a room temperature curing thermoset resin system during the VI process could be predicted through the steps of this study.
unsaturated polyester resin, differential scanning calorimetry, cure kinetics, cure simulation, vacuum infusion process
0021-9983
2529-2540
Aktas, A.
f2f5c719-83d1-41ab-a412-56faba0459a9
Krishnan, L.
4eb5cfc3-d3e2-474d-a63b-e1f80de54bf6
Kandola, B.
981b1711-9897-45cb-a636-dac576f8829c
Boyd, S.W.
bcbdefe0-5acf-4d6a-8a16-f4abf7c78b10
Shenoi, R.A.
a37b4e0a-06f1-425f-966d-71e6fa299960
Aktas, A.
f2f5c719-83d1-41ab-a412-56faba0459a9
Krishnan, L.
4eb5cfc3-d3e2-474d-a63b-e1f80de54bf6
Kandola, B.
981b1711-9897-45cb-a636-dac576f8829c
Boyd, S.W.
bcbdefe0-5acf-4d6a-8a16-f4abf7c78b10
Shenoi, R.A.
a37b4e0a-06f1-425f-966d-71e6fa299960

Aktas, A., Krishnan, L., Kandola, B., Boyd, S.W. and Shenoi, R.A. (2015) A cure modelling study of an unsaturated polyester resin system for the simulation of curing of fibre-reinforced composites during the vacuum infusion process. Journal of Composite Materials, 49 (20), 2529-2540. (doi:10.1177/0021998314549820).

Record type: Article

Abstract

This study presents the cure kinetics and cure modelling of an ambient curing unsaturated polyester (UP) resin system for its cure simulation in the vacuum infusion (VI) process. The curing of the UP resin system was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The dynamic DSC test measurements were conducted to find out the ultimate heat of reaction and enable experimental conversion determination for the isothermal curing. The empirical autocatalytic cure kinetics model incorporating the Arrhenius law represented the cure behaviour. The results of the cure kinetics study, the cure model, the material properties and the boundary conditions were the inputs in PAM-RTM software for the simulation of the degree of cure and the exothermic temperature during the infusion and the room temperature curing stages. The simulation results were compared with experimentally measured data. A vacuum infusion (VI) experiment involving a non-crimp glass fibre preform was performed in order to monitor the curing using thermocouples and validate the temperature simulation result. It was shown that the degree of cure and the exothermic temperature of a room temperature curing thermoset resin system during the VI process could be predicted through the steps of this study.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 2 September 2014
Published date: 1 August 2015
Keywords: unsaturated polyester resin, differential scanning calorimetry, cure kinetics, cure simulation, vacuum infusion process
Organisations: Fluid Structure Interactions Group

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 373663
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/373663
ISSN: 0021-9983
PURE UUID: 9edef36c-7582-4cd3-ba87-c8790c9cd8e1

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Date deposited: 27 Jan 2015 15:59
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 18:55

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Contributors

Author: A. Aktas
Author: L. Krishnan
Author: B. Kandola
Author: S.W. Boyd
Author: R.A. Shenoi

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