Capillary effects in vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding with natural fibers

The study of the capillary flow developed during the processing of composite materials is key because it acts as an important driving force for the impregnation of the fiber tows. It is also the main mechanism of void formation during infiltration of the fibers. In this work, capillary pressure of jute/vinylester composites was measured and the impact of capillary forces on fabric permeability was analyzed. It was found that the capillary pressure was significantly higher in vegetal than in synthetic fiber fabrics. In addition, the permeability of the fibers was characterized using various fluids. The resulting permeability was influenced by the nature of fluid and its polar property. Finally, the capillary pressure measured by this work was used to correct the experimental permeability in order to obtain a property independent of the test fluid. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. (c) 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers