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Consolidation of carbon fiber laminae during polymer‐matrix composite fabrication, studied by electrical resistance measurement
Author(s) -
Wang Shoukai,
Chung D. D. L.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
polymer composites
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.577
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1548-0569
pISSN - 0272-8397
DOI - 10.1002/pc.10514
Subject(s) - materials science , consolidation (business) , composite material , composite number , curing (chemistry) , fabrication , electrical resistivity and conductivity , electrical resistance and conductance , electrical engineering , medicine , alternative medicine , accounting , pathology , business , engineering
Abstract The consolidation of carbon fiber epoxy‐matrix laminae during composite fabrication by lamination (involving consolidation, curing and cooling) was found to hastened and to occur to a greater extent by increasing the pressure. The consequence of better consolidation remained after curing and subsequent cooling. A higher pressure resulted in a lower throughthickness resistivity in a composite after curing and cooling. The extent of consolidation was quantitatively described by N / N o (the ratio of the number of fiber‐fiber contacts between adjacent laminae at a given time, divided by that at the start of consolidation), which was calculated from the measured through‐thickness electrical resistivity. From the variation of N / N o during heating in the process of consolidation, three stages of consolidation were observed. In the first stage, N / N o increased very gradually; in the second stage, N / N o increased abruptly; in the third stage, N / N o increased at a moderate rate.