Effects of key thermophysical properties on the curing uniformity of carbon fiber reinforced resin composites

Abstract

Key thermophysical properties of the thermosetting resin, including density, conductivity coefficient and specific heat that evolve with resin curing, are related to temperature and curing degree fields of the fiber/resin composite material. However, their effects on heat transfer inside composite materials, consequently on the curing non-uniformity in thick-section laminates, are not well understood. The focus of this study is on the effects of key thermophysical properties of resin on the curing uniformity of AS4/3501-6 composite by means of the coupled thermochemical analysis with the method of numerical simulation. The results clearly indicate that the conductivity coefficient and specific heat of resin have obvious influence on curing uniformity, especially for thick laminates, while the density of resin has no noticeable effect on the curing uniformity. The simulation results can help to guide the material preparation of industrial production.