The optimization of thermo-compression process parameters of continuous carbon fiber reinforced PEEK composites

Abstract

Abstract Thermoplastic composites with high performance have become the primary material developed for aerospace applications. However, there are still numerous challenges for high-quality thermo-compression molding of thermoplastic composites. This paper investigated the control mechanism of porosity in continuous carbon fiber (CCF) reinforced polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) composites based on an orthogonal molding scheme, which examines the effect of thermo-compression process parameters on porosity. Further insights were obtained regarding the correlation among molding process parameters, porosity, and mechanical properties. The experimental results indicated that the significant factors affecting the bending performance of CCF/PEEK composites were molding pressure, temperature, and sequence holding time. Moreover, the viscosity of molten PEEK resin significantly affected the porosity of the composites, and the descending order of effect on the porosity of the composites was molding temperature, holding time, and molding pressure. Based on these results, we identified the optimal molding process conditions for CCF/PEEK composites, which were 405 °C, 1.5 MPa, and 30 min.