Journal
JOURNAL OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS
Volume 53, Issue 3, Pages 327-343Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
DOI: 10.1177/0021998318783308
Keywords
Epoxy composite quality; epoxy resin; glass fibres; resin infusion; vacuum-assisted resin transfer moulding
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Resin infusion is a manufacturing process used to produce fibre-reinforced thermo-set polymer components. This process is utilised in a range of industries such as aerospace, automotive, marine, rail and defense and is a cheaper method when compared to other closed mould or autoclave manufacturing methods, particularly as the size of the parts increases. In this study, wet compaction characteristics and behaviour of three glass fibre reinforcements were analysed, and 2D panels were manufactured with a selection of inlet and vent pressure combinations during both the filling and post-filling stages of the process to achieve control of the final fibre volume fractions. Reinforcement thickness and resin pressure were monitored throughout each experiment and the achieved fibre volume fractions were measured post-manufacture. Void content was analysed microscopically and related to the respective experimental parameters set. The compaction result fairly predicted the achieved fibre volume fraction of the manufactured part. The possibility of controlling the fibre volume fraction through control of the post-filling pressure was demonstrated. Even though there was a risk of increased void content with some post-filling configurations, the fibre volume fraction could still be controlled without creating voids with careful application of post-filling conditions.
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