Unit 2:

Polymer Matrix
Composite
 Polymer Matrix Composites

The method of manufacturing composites is very important to

the design and outcome of the product
With traditional materials one starts out with a blank piece of
material ie: rod, ingot, sheet, etc and works it to produce the
desired part.
However, this is not the case with polymer-matrix composites.
With these composites the material and the component are
being produced at the same time, therefore we aim for the
product to be a net or near net shape with little to no post
processing.
 Polymer Matrix Composites

 Unique to the composites industry is the ability to create

a product from many different manufacturing processes.
There are a wide variety of processes available to the
composites manufacturer to produce cost efficient products.
 Each of the fabrication processes has characteristics that
define the type of products to be produced. This is
advantageous because this expertise allows the
manufacturer to provide the best solution for the customer.
 Polymer Matrix Composites

Thermosetting resins include polyesters, vinylesters, epoxies,

bismaleimides, and polyamides.

Thermosetting polyesters are commonly used in fiber-reinforced plastics, and

epoxies make up most of the current market for advanced composites resins.
Initially, the viscosity of these resins is low; however, thermoset resins undergo
chemical reactions that crosslink the polymer chains and thus connect the entire
matrix together in a three-dimensional network. This process is called curing.

Thermosets, because of their three-dimensional crosslinked structure, tend to

have high dimensional stability, high-temperature resistance, and good resistance
to solvents. Recently, considerable progress has been made in improving the
toughness and maximum operating temperatures of thermosets.
 Polymer Matrix Composites

Thermoplastic resins, sometimes called engineering plastics, include some polyesters,

polyetherimide, polyamide imide, polyphenylene sulfide, polyether- etherketone (PEEK),
and liquid crystal polymers. They consist of long, discrete molecules that melt to a
viscous liquid at the processing temperature, typically 500” to 700” F (260° to 3710 C),
and, after forming, are cooled to an amorphous, semicrystalline, or crystalline solid.

The degree of crystallinity has a strong effect on the final matrix properties. Unlike the
curing process of thermosetting resins, the processing of thermoplastics is reversible, and,
by simply reheating to the process temperature, the resin can be formed into another
shape if desired.

Thermoplastics, although generally inferior to thermosets in high-temperature strength

and chemical stability, are more resistant to cracking and impact damage.

However, it should be noted that recently developed high-performance thermoplastics,

such as PEEK, which have a semicrystalline microstructure, exhibit excellent high
temperature strength and solvent resistance.
 Polymer Matrix Composites

Thermoplastic resins

Thermoplastics offer great promise for the future from a manufacturing point
of view, because it is easier and faster to heat and cool a material than it is
to cure it. This makes thermoplastic matrices attractive to high-volume
industries such as the automotive industry.

Currently, thermoplastics are used primarily with discontinuous fiber

reinforcements such as chopped glass or carbon/graphite. However, there is
great potential for high-performance thermoplastics reinforced with
continuous fibers. For example, thermoplastics could be used in place of
epoxies in the composite structure of the next generation of fighter aircraft.
Polymer Matrix Composites
Polymer Matrix Composites
 Polymer Matrix Composites
PMC Processing using
Thermoset resins

Open face molding Matched die molding Pultrusion

Hand lay- Automated

Spray-up
up lay-up Fiber preform Prepreg

Tape lay-up
Resin
Filament winding Sheet molding
transfer molding
Braiding compound
Structural
Tube rolling Bulk molding
reaction
compound
injection molding

Impregnation

Prepreg Curing
Vacuum
bag
Autoclave
 Polymer Matrix Composites
PMC Processing
using Thermoplastic
resins

Open face Matched die

Pultrusion Extrusion
molding molding

Hand Automat
Spray-up Fiber preform Prepreg
lay- ed lay-
up up

Tape lay-up
Filament
winding using injection Preheating
prepregs molding the prepreg

Only
Prepreg
Polymer Matrix Composites
 Polymer Matrix Composites
Hand Lay-Up
Hand lay-up molding is the method of laying down fabrics made of reinforcement and
painting with the matrix resin layer by layer until the desired thickness is obtained. This is
the most time and labor consuming, composite processing method but majority of aerospace
composite products are made by this method in combination with the autoclave method.
Due to the hand assembly involved in the lay-up procedure, one can align long fibers with
controlled orientational quality. Another advantage of this method is the ability to
accommodate irregular-shaped products. Such advantages are utilized in low performance
composites including fiber-glass boat and bath tub manufacturing.

Hand lay-up is the oldest and simplest method used for producing reinforced plastic
laminates. Capital investment for the hand lay-up processes is relatively low. The most
expensive piece of equipment typically is a spray gun for resin and gel coat application.
Some fabricators pour or brush the resin into the molds so that a spray gun is not required
for this step. There is virtually no limit to the size of the part that can be made. The molds
can be made of wood, sheet metal, plaster, and FRP composites.
 Polymer Matrix Composites

Hand Lay-Up
 Oldest and most commonly used manufacturing method
Usually used to produce polyester or epoxy resin parts such as
boat hulls, tanks and vessels, pick-up truck canopies
The method is quite simple, the resin and reinforcement is
placed against the surface of an open (one sided) mold and
allowed to cure or in the case of spray-up the
resin/reinforcement is sprayed onto the mold with a spray gun
Often a gel coat is applied to the mold prior to produce a
better surface quality and protect the composite from the
elements
A gel coat is a resin usually 0.4 to 0.7 mm thick, commonly
seen on the outer surface of smaller boats
 Polymer Matrix Composites

Hand Lay-Up
 The pros of this process include: low initial start up cost, easy to change
mold/design, on-site production possible (ie portable process)
The cons include: labor intensive, the quality of parts depends on
operator’s skill and therefore inconsistent, only one good side to the part
 Polymer Matrix Composites

Spray-up Molding

Spray-up molding is much less labor intensive than the hand lay- up
method by utilizing a spray gun and a fiber cutter.
However, only short fiber reinforced composites can be made. A
continuous fiber is fed into the cutter and chopped.
The chopped fiber is sprayed upon a mold with the stream of resin mist
and catalyst delivered through separate nozzles.
The sprayed mixture of fiber and resin soon cures on the mold at room
temperature and the product is produced.
Because of the spraying operation, large and complex-shaped
objects can be easily made.
 Polymer Matrix Composites
Spray-up Molding
Fibers are chopped, coated with resin and sprayed onto the mold
 Polymer Matrix Composites
Spray-up Molding

Advantages:
 Continuous process
 Any materials can be used as mold.
 Error can be corrected by re-spraying.
Disadvantages:
 Slow.
 inconsistency.
 No control of fiber orientation.
 Only one side finished.
 Environmental unfriendly.
 Polymer Matrix Composites
Prepreg can be used in a few different ways
Prepreg
 It can be placed against a mold similar to the hand lay-up method
 Once placed in the mold the material must be compressed and cured according to
a specific pressure/temperature cycle
This is often done by means of a vacuum bag where a thin plastic cover is secured overtop
of the composite and the air is vacuumed out
This process can reduce manufacturing time and produce a stronger part (if a knitted
preform is used)
 Another process used is ‘automated tape lay-up’
 This process uses a large automated roller similar to a packing tape roller
The roller applies the tape with pressure which eliminates the need for a vacuum bag
 Automated tape lay-up is used to produce large parts, generally in aerospace
applications and is also capable of 3-d parts
 Polymer Matrix Composites

Prepreg

A pregreg (short for preimpregnated) is a composite that

comes with the resin already added to the reinforcement
This means that the only concern when working
with prepreg is shaping the part
Since the resin is already mixed (resin and catalyst) there is a
limited shelf life
For the same reason prepreg must be cured in an oven or
autoclave
 Polymer Matrix Composites
Prepreg
۰Prepreg is the
composite industry’s term
for continuous fiber
reinforcement pre-
impregnated a
polymer
with resin that is only
partially cured.
۰Prepreg is delivered in
tape form to
manufacturer the who
molds and fully thencures
the product without
having to add any resin.
۰This is the composite
form most widely used for
structural applications
 Polymer Matrix Composites

Manufacturing begins by
collimating a series of Prepreg
spool-wound continuous
fiber tows.
 Tows are then
sandwiched and pressed
between sheets of
release and carrier
paper using heated
rollers (calendering).
The release paper sheet
has been coated with a thin
film of heated resin
solution to assure thorough
impregnation of the fibers.
 Polymer Matrix Composites
Prepreg

The final prepreg product is a thin tape consisting of

continuous and aligned fibers embedded in a partially cured
resin
Prepared for packaging by winding onto a cardboard core.
Typical tape thicknesses range between 0.08 and 0.25 mm
 Tape widths range between 25 and 1525 mm.
 Resin content lies between about 35 and 45 vol%
 Polymer Matrix Composites

Prepreg

Advantages:
 orientation of fibers can be changed
 consistent
 high productivity
Disadvantages:
 continuous process needs work
 limited shelf life
 delamination
 Processing of PMCs

Pultrusion

Similar to
extrusion of metal
parts
 Pultrusion involves
pulling resin-
impregnated glass
strands through a die
Standard extruded
shapes can easily be
produced such as
pipes, channels, I-
beams, etc.
 Processing of PMCs

Pultrusion

Producing composite shapes by pultrusion.

 Processing of PMCs

Pultrusion
 Processing of PMCs

Pultrusion

Advantages:
 Automated processes.
 High speed.
 Versatile cross-sectional shape.
 Continuous reinforcement.
Disadvantages:
 Die can be easily messed up.
 Expensive die.
 Mainly thermoset matrix.
 Processing of PMCs

Filament Winding

 A continuous reinforcement, either previously impregnated or impregnated

during winding is wound around a rotating mandrel to form a composite part
 Pros: fast lay-up speed, very accurate and repeatable product,
possibility to use continuous fiber, parts can have huge size
 Cons: expensive equipment, high cost for mandrel, poor surface finish, shape
of the products limited (only cylindrical possible), curing by heat is not easy
to apply, spinning speed is limited due to resin penetration and splashing,
traveler speed and yarn breakage.
 Examples: oxygen bottles for firemen, rocket motors, tennis rackets,
shafts
 Processing of PMCs

Filament Winding

Producing composite shapes by filament winding.

 Processing of PMCs

Filament Winding
– Ex: pressure tanks
– Continuous filaments wound onto mandrel

from N. L. Hancox, (Editor), Fibre Composite

Hybrid Materials, The Macmillan Company,
New York, 1981.
 Processing of PMCs

Filament Winding

Impregnated fibers are rolled up on

a rotary mandrel, then cured in an oven
 Processing of PMCs

Filament Winding
• Filament winding and fiber placement
– Fiber placement has greater
accuracy
– Fiber placement can wind on less
symmetrical and even partially
concave mandrels
• Tubes, tanks, wind turbine blades
and rockets
 Processing of PMCs
Winding process is defined with basic parameters for
Filament Winding winding, like angle type, number of cycles, cycle length,
layers length, number of tows, etc.

Winding with carbon fiber

Winding with glass fiber
 Processing of PMCs

Resin Transfer Molding

Resin transfer molding is a manufacturing method that

is quite similar to injection molding where plastic is
injected into a closed mold.
In the RTM process the preform (precut piece(s) of
reinforcement) is placed in the mold, the mold is closed
and the thermoset plastic matrix is injected into the
mold, once the matrix is cured the part is ejected.
 Processing of PMCs

Resin Transfer Molding

 Processing of PMCs

Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding

http://www.futuremediacreations.com/technoire/vartm.htm
 Processing of PMCs

Resin Transfer Molding (RTM)

Pros
Cons
1.As a closed mold process, emissions are
lower than open mold processes such as
spray up or hand lay up.
1.High production volumes required to
2.The mold surface can produce a high offset high tooling costs compared
quality finish (like those on an
automobile). to the open molding techniques.
3. This process can produce parts faster as 2.Reinforcement materials are limited
much as 5-20 times faster than open due to the flow and resin saturation
molding techniques. of the fibers.
4. Resin transfer molding produces 3.Size of the part is limited by the
tighter dimensional tolerances to within mold.
0.005 inch.
5. Complex mold shapes can be achieved.
Cabling and other fittings can be
incorporated into the mold designs.
 Processing of PMCs

Resin Transfer Molding

Researcher from Aerospace Manufacturing Technology Center in

Montreal molding members for a helicopter
 Processing of PMCs

Vacuum Bagging
• Provides increased part consolidation
• Reduces matched die mold costs
 Processing of PMCs
Applications:
Vacuum Bagging Large, one-off cruising boats, racecar
components, core-bonding in production
boats
 Processing of PMCs

Vacuum Bagging

Advantages:
 simple design
 any fiber/matrix combination
 ok with cheap mold material
 better quality for the cost
Disadvantages:
 cannot be heated up too much
 breather clothe has to be replaced frequently
 low pressure (760 mm Hg the most)
 slowest speed
 inconsistency
 Processing of PMCs

Sheet Molding
 Processing of PMCs

Sheet Molding

Advantages
 High productivity thus inexpensive
 Consistency

Disadvantages
 Low volume fraction.
 Only board can be made.
Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC)

A comparison of the specific modulus and specific strength of several

composite materials with those of metals and polymers.
Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC)
Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC)

The specific strength versus

temperature for several
composites and metals.
 SPORTS

The fibers-reinforced composites for sports.