AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF MICRO-VOID CREATION BY IMPURITY IN COMPOSITE MATERIALS DURING VARTM PROCESS

Abstract

The effects of impurities on the generation of voids in composites fabricated by vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding was investigated to help reduce mechanical weakening in large structures. Impurities were intentionally inserted into laminates, which were then observed optically. Internal voids were generated in specimens with impurities of 2 – 3mm thickness. The voids grew as the impurities' thicknesses increased to 4 – 5 mm. The voids' diameters were proportional to the thickness of the impurity. Void generation was shown to depend on the thickness of impurities. Environmental control during vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding was shown to be important for ensuring the quality of the resulting composites.