NON-ISOTHERMAL CONSOLIDATION MODELLING ANDMECHANICAL PROPERTY PREDICTION FORGLASS/POLYPROPYLENE COMMINGLED FABRICS

摘要

A balanced twill weave commingled fabric was consolidated by vacuum forming. Samples weretested in three point bending, and the void content was measured to validate a consolidation modelthat predicts void content as a function of pressure, time at pressure and temperature. Additionally,voids located in the inter-tow region are also considered. A simple heat transfer model is introduced inthe existing isothermal consolidation model to account for the effect of temperature on theconsolidation. A microscope image analysis technique was used to investigate the evolution of themicrostructure during consolidation and to quantify levels of void content. These measurements werecorrelated with the mechanical properties of laminates consolidated and two simple stress fracturecriteria are used to predict the strength of laminate composites containing voids.