Numerical analysis of cure temperature and internal stresses in thin and thick RTM parts

Resin transfer molding (RTM) is a widely used manufacturing technique of composite parts. Proper selection of processing parameters is critical in order to produce successful molding and to obtain a good part. Notably, when thermosetting resins are processed, the shrinkage that results from resin polymerization increases the complexity of the problem. Numerical prediction of internal stresses during composite manufacturing has three objectives: (1) to improve knowledge about the process; (2) to analyze the effects of processing parameters on the mechanical integrity of the part; and (3) to validate the principles of thermal optimization. This investigation aims to predict residual stresses and part deformation (i.e. warpage) in thin and thick composites. Accurate characterization of materials is essential for effective numerical analysis of phenomena which determine the generation of processing stresses. For this purpose, a reaction kinetics model of the resin is presented, together with a description of mechanical properties as a function of the degree of polymerization and glass transition temperature. A linear model is used to predict volume changes in glass-polyester composites. A finite difference analysis is used to simulate the effect of thermal and rheological changes during the processing of sample plates. Classical laminate theory is applied to calculate the internal stresses that result from processing conditions. These stresses are compared to determine different curing strategies for thick composite parts. Finally, a thermal optimization algorithm is applied to demonstrate the advantages of transient heating and cooling, to minimize processing stresses and avoid thermal degradation of the material or composite delamination. © 2004 Published by Elsevier Ltd.