Controlling resin flow in Liquid Composite Moulding processes through localized irradiation with ultraviolet light

Endruweit, Andreas; Matveev, Mikhail; Tretyakov, Michael V.

Abstract

A vacuum infusion process was implemented to produce composite specimens from a random glass filament mat and an acrylic modified polyester resin curable upon irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) light. Through localized irradiation with UV light during the reinforcement impregnation, the viscosity of the flowing resin was increased selectively. This allowed converging–diverging flow patterns with defined inclusions to be realized and racetracking along reinforcement edges to be suppressed. The approach is based on radical photopolymerisation. Here, the degree of cure and the viscosity of the resin increase under direct irradiation, such that the resin gels and the flow stalls in a matter of seconds, but remain unchanged in areas covered with an opaque mask. While this study is concerned with the feasibility of the process, potential practical applications are in flow control for Liquid Composite Moulding, that is, compensation for local variations in the fiber volume fraction and permeability of reinforcements.

Citation

Endruweit, A., Matveev, M., & Tretyakov, M. V. (2022). Controlling resin flow in Liquid Composite Moulding processes through localized irradiation with ultraviolet light. Polymer Composites, 43(11), 8308-8321. https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.27001

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 10, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Aug 24, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022-11
• Deposit Date: Aug 18, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 25, 2023
• Journal: Polymer Composites
• Print ISSN: 0272-8397
• Electronic ISSN: 1548-0569
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 43
• Issue: 11
• Pages: 8308-8321
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.27001
• Keywords: Materials Chemistry; Polymers and Plastics; General Chemistry; Ceramics and Composites
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/10080633
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pc.27001
• Additional Information: Received: 2022-05-01; Accepted: 2022-08-10; Published: 2022-08-24