Heating of Thermoplastic-Based Unidirectional Composite Prepregs

Abstract

Thermoplastic-based prepregs offer a potential for faster manufacture of composite products than with thermoset-based prepregs. The winding or controlled place ment of thermoplastic-based prepreg tapes requires the rapid heating of the moving tape, just prior to its contact with the substrate on the mandrel. In the case of complex shapes, geometrical constraints and significant variations in tape speeds in the course of manufac ture, make it particularly desirable to be able to model the heating process A mathe matical model and its experimental verification for convection/conduction heat transfer to and through either a homogeneous thermoplastic material, or thermoplastic-based uni directional composites featuring glass, aramid and carbon fibers, is discussed.