Innovative Production of Composites with Through Plane Alignment of Fi-bers

短纤维复合材料（SFC）依靠增强纤维相的优异性能来提高基体的性能。根据所需的产品应用，纤维必须以特定的方向排列，平面内，通过平面等。由于成本和大规模生产的问题，通常不追求通过平面的纤维取向。该提案旨在开发具有贯穿平面排列（TPA）纤维的复合材料，因为它们可以显着改善SFC的性能以用于许多现有应用。此外，如果可以适当地控制光纤的贯通平面对准，则可以设想许多新的和创新的应用。控制面内对齐的最常见方式是通过施加剪切流场，其可以在挤出或注塑成型过程中固有地产生。由于在控制剪切流场方面的挑战，使纤维垂直于平面（通过平面）排列更加困难。许多技术是基于利用电磁力对流体悬浮液中的颗粒，然后固化。机械方法不适合大规模生产。可能的应用包括导电和导热涂层、耐磨表面、渗透膜、散热器和创新传感器等。 因此，本研究计划的目标是开发创新的制造技术，用于TPA SFC的高通量生产，这比随机SFC更适合某些应用。若能成功推行，将会大大增加一些现时甚至未获考虑的证监会申请。 两种不同的方法将被调查通过平面对准的纤维。A）SFC薄片中的发泡，其中基质中的气泡被迫经历双轴拉伸、破裂并形成将使大量纤维横向排列的开孔。B）挤出，然后进行后处理折叠和固化。本研究提出首先使用挤出使纤维在平面方向上对齐，然后进行类似折叠的操作和固化，以改善折叠层的表面与表面的粘合。 这两种方法都需要大量的设计和开发工作，并应用创新方法来解决设计挑战。初始阶段将侧重于上文提议的第一种方法。 关于通过平面光纤对准的工作是稀疏的，并且在SFC中实现高吞吐量通过平面对准的技术具有显著增加复合材料的有用性并产生许多新颖和创新的应用的潜力，这将有利于加拿大的塑料制造业。它也将成为HQP在该行业的培训和创新经验的来源。

Short-fiber composites (SFC) rely on the exceptional properties of the reinforcing fiber phase to enhance the properties of the matrix. Depending on the product application required, the fibers must be arranged in a particular orientation, either in-plane, through-plane, etc. Due to cost and mass-production concerns, through-plane fiber orientation is usually not pursued. This proposal seeks to develop composites with through-plane aligned (TPA) fibers, as they can significantly improve properties of SFCs for use in a number of existing applications. Moreover, many new and innovative applications can be envisaged if through-plane alignment of fibers can be properly controlled. The most common way of controlling the in-plane alignments is by applying a shear flow field, which can be inherently generated in extrusion or injection molding processes. Aligning fibers perpendicular to the plane (through-plane) is more difficult because of the challenges in controlling the shear flow field. Many techniques are based on utilizing electromagnetic forces on particles in fluid suspensions and then solidification. Mechanical methods are not suitable for large scale production. Possible applications include electrically and thermally conductive coatings, wear resistant surfaces, permeable membranes, heat sinks, and innovative sensors etc. Therefore, the objective of this research program is to develop innovative manufacturing techniques for high throughput production of TPA SFCs, which are more suited for certain applications than random SFCs. Success in doing so will have a dramatic effect in opening up a number of applications which are not even being considered at present for SFCs. Two distinct methodologies will be investigated for through plane alignment of fibers. A) Foaming in SFC thin sheets, where the bubbles in matrix are forced to undergo biaxial stretching, rupture and form open pores which will align large number of fibers laterally. B) Extrusion followed by post-processing folding and curing. This research proposes to first align the fibers in the planer direction using extrusion and followed by folding like operations and curing to improve the surface to surface bonding of the folded layers. Both the methods require extensive design and development efforts and application of innovative approaches to solve design challenges. The initial phase will focus on the first methodology proposed above. Work on through-plane fiber alignment is sparse and achieving technology for high throughput through plane alignment in SFCs has the potential to dramatically increase the usefulness of composite materials and generate many novel and innovative applications, which will be beneficial for the plastics manufacturing industry of Canada. It will also be a source of training and innovation experience for HQP in this industry.