Compaction behavior of aerospace-grade carbon fiber epoxy prepreg during composites manufacturing

Abstract

This research project aims to study the compaction behavior and the mechanisms of voids on aerospace-grade carbon fiber epoxy prepregs during its process of manufacture by vacuum and autoclave, evaluating, at first, its initial condition through observation of voids contents and relating them to process conditions as cycles of vacuum, pressure, temperature and time in order to minimize the negative effects that the voids can bring on composite performance. Thus, the objective is to demonstrate the mechanisms of defects reduction in composites through controlled experiments to comprehend the relation between the processing parameters and voids contents, this requires an specialized assistance of the research group of composite materials from the University of Delaware. (AU)