Investigation of alternative cure process for thermally activated composites for improved mechanical behavior of laminates with non-uniform thickness.

摘要

The objective of this investigation is to determine if an alternative cure process for thermally activated epoxy composites has an effect on the mechanical properties of a laminate with non-uniform thickness. Two laminates, a solid graphite/epoxy and a honeycomb, were fabricated and cured with the manufacture's recommended cure cycle as a baseline for the investigation and two laminates were fabricated with a Selective Heating Cure Cycle. The laminates were dissected and flexural tests performed to determine the equivalent elastic moduli.;The conclusions from the investigation are the equivalent elastic modulus for a laminate can be increased through use of a Selective Heating Cure Cycle; an intermediate hold is effective in overcoming the temperature overshoot typically associated with exothermic processes in thick solid graphite/epoxy laminates; and failure to optimize the cure cycle for the laminate can lead to a decrease in the mechanical properties.