Research Initiation Award: In-situ Impregnation of Polymers and Ceramics in Composites Manufacturing

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9308498 Ramani Thermoplastic matrix fiber components are predominantly manufactured using intermediate material forms such as prepregs, tapes or towpregs, which reduces manufacturing and design flexibility, and increases the product costs. Even resins that are synthesized in powder form are converted to pellets and melt impregnated on glass fibers to manufacture short fiber composites. Several processing steps for the manufacture of the final component are wasteful from both manufacturing time, processing and design flexibility, and energy considerations. The primary objective of this research is to develop a single continuous process for impregnating and consolidating polymeric powders in continuous fibers to manufacture components to net shape. This process is extended to encapsulate ceramic powder with polymeric powder on continuous fibers. The impregnation is accomplished by electrostatic spray deposition and adhesion to the fiber tow, rapid heating, and consolidation in a filament winding or pultrusion process. Process models are developed for each sub-process and integrated during the process development cycle. Development and demonstration of this process will directly lead to minimizing the processing steps and reducing the associated costs. This process can be used for direct manufacture of filament wound, pultruded components and resin encapsulated glass fibers for injection molding and extrusion processes. Ceramic powder encapsulated tows can be used for the manufacture of continuous fiber ceramic composites and composites with ceramic particles as a filler in tribological situations.