Optimization of process parameters for the preparation of continuous glass fiber-reinforced Nylon 6 composites by vacuum bagging process

Vacuum bagging (VB) technology has become an important method for low-cost preparation of advanced composites materials. In this work, continuous glass fiber-reinforced polyamide-6 (GF/PA-6) composites were successfully manufactured bt VB process, utilizing the anionic polymerization of caprolactam (a monomer of PA-6). The effects of vacuum pressure, curing temperature, curing time on the monomer conversion, crystallinity, and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated by the self-made experimental platform. The results indicated that the number of fiber layers affected the properties of products by affecting the thickness of composites. Vacuum pressure mainly affected the impregnation process of resin on fiber, and the product performance was the best at 1 bar. The flexural strength and flexural modulus of the composites reached the highest when the curing temperature was 150 degrees C and the curing time was 90 min, which were 273.92 MPa and 14.04 GPa respectively, while the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) was highest at 170 degrees C, up to 42.73 MPa.

Automated summary

This article introduces the research on the preparation of continuous glass fiber-reinforced polyamide composites using VB technology. The study found that the number of fiber layers, vacuum pressure, curing temperature, and curing time have an impact on the properties of the composites.