Resin development for fast cycle time composite processing

新的复合材料制造工艺并不经常出现。Quickstep提供了复合材料性能的显著改善，以及更快、更可控的固化周期，目前吸引了大量工业兴趣。该计划的目的是进行一项基础研究，以开发适合快速固化循环的树脂，并确定其流变学和随后的机械性能。传统的航空航天预浸料，在之前的工作中使用Quickstep工艺固化以提供高加热和冷却速率，表现出改善的化学和机械性能。对这些改进的建议解释包括：(1)在冷却过程中，由于高速固化和网络结构的快速定型，聚合物网络结构和交联密度发生了改变；(2)在固化和固结过程中，由于树脂体系的粘度降低，纤维表面润湿性得到了改善。本研究计划的首要目标是研究这些理论，并量化高固化过程传热率对传统环氧基预浸料物理化学性能的影响。

New composite fabrication processes do not come along very often. Quickstep offers marked improvements in composites properties along with much faster and more controllable cure cycles attracting significant industrial interest at this time. The aim of this program is to undertake a basic study to develop resins suited to fast cure cycles and to establish their rheological and subsequent mechanical properties.Conventional aerospace pre-pregs, cured using the Quickstep process to provide high heating and cooling rates in previous work, exhibited improved chemical and mechanical properties. Proposed explanations for these improvements include; (i) a modification of the polymer-network configuration and cross-link density caused by a combination of high-rate curing and rapid setting of the network configuration during cooling and/or (ii) improved fibre surface wetting caused by the reduced viscosity of the resin system during the cure and consolidation processes. The first and primary objective of this proposed research program is to investigate these theories and quantify the effect of high cure process heat-transfer-rates on the physico-chemical properties of conventional epoxy-based pre-preg materials.