On the optimum process parameters of infrared curing of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics

Abstract

Autoclave-cured carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRPs) are widely used in aerospace and aviation industries. However, they have a limited field in automotive or marine industries in which both the unit costs of the products and applicability to mass production are of primary concern. Therefore, out-of-autoclave (OoA) processed products having similar mechanical properties with autoclave cured ones have been extensively studied. In this study, infrared (IR) curing, an OoA curing method, was investigated. The aim of the study is to propose a reliable temperature control method for an IR CFRP curing oven. A methodology that provides the surface and through-thickness temperature distribution of IR cured epoxy matrix CFRP was introduced. Optimum ply number and the distance between the heat source and the material were determined. Material surface was separated into nine virtual regions and region-based thermal evaluations were made by means of the thermal camera images and thermocouple data. Temperature distribution through thickness was determined. When designing a robust IR thermoset CFRP curing process, one should consider the temperature distribution on the surface and through the thickness of the material.