JP2008296494A - Fiber-reinforced composite material molding system and method, and fiber-reinforced composite material - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To control more accurately the rate of content of the fiber volume of a fiber-reinforced composite material in a fiber-reinforced composite material system. <P>SOLUTION: A fiber-reinforced composite material molding system 10 for molding by impregnating a fiber bundle 14 with resin includes: a resin impregnating device 22 for impregnating the fiber bundle 14 with a first resin; and a resin coating device 34 for covering with a second resin the fiber bundle 14 with the first resin impregnated, wherein the second resin to be used has a resin viscosity higher than the first resin. Also, a thermosetting resin is desirably used for the first and the second resin. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fiber reinforced composite material molding system, a fiber reinforced composite material molding method, and a fiber reinforced composite material, and more particularly, to a fiber reinforced composite material molding system, a fiber reinforced composite material molding method, and a fiber reinforced composite material molding method. The present invention relates to a fiber reinforced composite material.

  For example, a high-pressure tank for a vehicle that stores compressed hydrogen gas, compressed natural gas (CNG), or the like uses a fiber-reinforced composite material for weight reduction. As such a fiber-reinforced composite material, for example, a fiber-reinforced composite material formed by impregnating a carbon fiber or the like as a reinforcing fiber with an epoxy resin or the like that is a thermosetting resin is used. For example, a filament winding (FW) method or the like is used in a fiber reinforced composite material forming system for forming a fiber reinforced composite material. The filament winding method is a system that forms a fiber-reinforced composite material by continuously winding and laminating resin-impregnated fibers around a mandrel or the like.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a yarn prepreg which is an intermediate material that can easily give a fiber-reinforced composite material excellent in impact resistance and fatigue resistance by a molding method such as a filament winding method, and a fiber-reinforced composite having such excellent properties. In order to provide a material, a yarn prepreg or the like characterized in that a reinforcing fiber is impregnated with a thermosetting resin and a resin mainly composed of an elastomer or a thermoplastic resin exists in the vicinity of the surface.

  In Patent Document 2, a curable resin liquid containing a photocuring agent and a thermosetting agent is applied to the surface of a mandrel, and this is irradiated with light to gel the curable resin liquid, and the outer periphery thereof is thermosetting. It is shown that a roving fiber material impregnated with a resin liquid is wound and laminated, and this is cured at room temperature or heated to cure all the resin to produce a fiber reinforced resin molded product.

  In Patent Document 3, when the fiber reinforcing material is wound around the winding, the resin impregnated in the reinforcing material is in an uncured state and has fluidity. In order to solve the disadvantage of dripping and wasting, the resin impregnated in the resin-impregnated fiber reinforcement is processed in a semi-cured state in advance, and the resin-impregnated fiber reinforcement is heated to melt the resin while winding It has been shown to perform the work of coating.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-283435 JP 05-457 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 54-156077

  By the way, when the fiber reinforced composite material is formed by, for example, a filament winding method, after impregnating the fiber bundle with resin, the fiber bundle impregnated with resin is wound around a mandrel or the like and laminated. In order to improve the resin impregnation property, a resin having a lower resin viscosity is generally used as the resin impregnated in the fiber bundle. Therefore, at the time of heat curing, there is a possibility that the impregnated resin flows and flows out from the laminated body in which the fiber bundles impregnated with the resin are laminated. Thereby, it may be difficult to control the fiber volume content in the fiber-reinforced composite material formed by curing the laminate.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a fiber reinforced composite material system, a fiber reinforced composite material molding method, and a fiber reinforced composite material that can control the fiber volume content of the fiber reinforced composite material with higher accuracy. .

  A fiber reinforced composite material molding system according to the present invention is a fiber reinforced composite material molding system that impregnates a fiber bundle with a resin and molds the resin. A resin coating apparatus that coats the impregnated fiber bundle with a second resin, wherein the second resin has a resin viscosity higher than that of the first resin.

  In the fiber-reinforced composite material molding system according to the present invention, a coating that adjusts the coating amount of the second resin by removing the excessively coated second resin by passing the fiber bundle coated with the second resin through the gap A quantity adjusting means is provided.

  In the fiber-reinforced composite material molding system according to the present invention, the first resin and the second resin are thermosetting resins.

  A fiber-reinforced composite material molding method according to the present invention is a fiber-reinforced composite material molding method in which a fiber bundle is impregnated with a resin, and the resin impregnation step of impregnating the fiber bundle with the first resin; A resin coating step of coating the impregnated fiber bundle with a second resin, wherein the second resin has a resin viscosity higher than that of the first resin.

  The fiber reinforced composite material according to the present invention is a fiber reinforced composite material formed by impregnating a resin into a fiber bundle, the fiber bundle impregnated with a first resin, and the fiber bundle impregnated with the first resin, It is formed by coating a second resin having a resin viscosity higher than that of the first resin.

  As described above, according to the fiber reinforced composite material molding system, the fiber reinforced composite material molding method, and the fiber reinforced composite material according to the present invention, the outflow of the resin from the laminated body in which the resin-impregnated fiber bundles are laminated is suppressed. Therefore, the fiber volume content of the fiber reinforced composite material can be controlled more accurately.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a fiber-reinforced composite material molding system 10.

  The fiber supply device 12 has a function of sending out the fiber bundle 14. As the fiber supply device 12, for example, a creel stand or the like can be used. The fiber supply device 12 includes a plurality of bobbins 16 for winding the fiber bundle 14 and a plurality of fiber tension adjusting devices 18 for adjusting the tension applied to the plurality of fiber bundles 14. Thereby, a fiber bundle composed of a plurality of fiber bundles 14 fed out from the bobbin 16 or the like can be supplied after being adjusted to a predetermined tension by the fiber tension adjusting device 18. Of course, depending on other conditions, the number of fiber bundles 14 is not limited to a plurality, and may be one.

  For the fiber bundle 14, carbon fibers that are high-strength fibers or high-elastic fibers can be used. As the carbon fiber, rayon-based carbon fiber, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) -based carbon fiber, pitch-based carbon fiber, or the like is used. Of course, the fiber bundle 14 is not limited to carbon fiber, and glass fiber or aramid fiber can be used.

  For the fiber bundle 14, for example, yarn, strand, roving, or the like in which filaments that are single fibers having a fiber diameter of 1 μm to 5 μm are bundled can be used. As the fiber bundle 14, for example, when carbon fibers are used, carbon fiber strands in which 10,000 to 50,000 carbon fiber filaments are bundled can be used. In addition, the fiber bundle 14 may be made of not only a unidirectional material but also a fiber sheet of a woven material woven with plain weave or satin weave. Of course, depending on other conditions, the fiber bundle 14 is not limited to these forms.

  The fiber tension measuring device 20 has a function of measuring the tension applied to the plurality of fiber bundles 14 sent out from the fiber supply device 12. As the fiber tension measuring device 20, a tension measuring device generally used for measuring the tension of carbon fiber or the like can be used.

  The resin impregnation device 22 has a function of impregnating the fiber bundle 14 measured by the fiber tension measurement device 20 with the first resin. The resin impregnation device 22 includes a resin tank 24 that stores the first resin impregnated in the fiber bundle 14, a resin impregnation roller 26 that adheres the first resin to the fiber bundle 14, a first tension roller 28, and a second tension roller 30. And. The resin impregnation apparatus 22 measures a resin thermometer (not shown) that measures the resin temperature in order to adjust the resin viscosity, and the resin film thickness attached to the fiber bundle 14 in order to adjust the resin impregnation amount. And a resin film thickness meter 32.

  In the resin impregnation of the first resin, the resin impregnated roller 26 is rotated so that the roller surface is immersed in the first resin accumulated in the resin tank 24, and then the roller surface to which the first resin adheres is brought into contact with the fiber bundle 14. Can be impregnated with resin. A thermosetting resin such as an epoxy resin, a phenol resin, or an unsaturated polyester resin can be used as the first resin impregnated in the fiber bundle 14. Of course, the first resin is not limited to the synthetic resin.

  As the first resin, a resin having a low resin curing degree and a low resin viscosity is used. This is because the first resin can be uniformly impregnated with the fiber bundle 14 by using a resin having a low resin viscosity. FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between elapsed time and resin viscosity when a thermosetting resin is exposed at 25 ° C. In FIG. 2, the horizontal axis represents the elapsed time when the thermosetting resin was exposed at 25 ° C., the vertical axis represents the resin viscosity of the thermosetting resin, and the data of the three types of thermosetting resins are black. Indicated by triangles, black squares, and black diamonds. The resin viscosity was measured by a general resin viscosity measuring method specified in JIS, ASTM and the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the thermosetting resin undergoes a curing reaction as the exposure time elapses, so that the resin viscosity increases. Therefore, for the first resin, for example, a resin having a low resin viscosity with an exposure time at 25 ° C. of 20 hours or less and a resin viscosity of 2000 mPas or less at 25 ° C. is used.

  The resin coating device 34 has a function of covering the fiber bundle 14 impregnated with the first resin with the second resin. A resin having a higher resin viscosity than the first resin is used for the second resin. The fiber bundle 14 impregnated with the first resin is coated with a second resin that has undergone a curing reaction and has a higher degree of resin curing and a higher resin viscosity than the first resin. This is because, since the curing proceeds first from the second resin having a high curing reaction rate and a high resin curing degree, the outflow of the first resin impregnated in the fiber bundle 14 can be suppressed.

  As the second resin, it is preferable to use a resin that undergoes a curing reaction more than the first resin, has a high degree of resin curing, and is in a state near the gelation. This is because the second resin can be cured more quickly at the time of curing by using a resin in the vicinity of gelation as the second resin. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, a resin having a high resin viscosity of 9000 mPas at 25 ° C. with an exposure time at 25 ° C. of around 72 hours is used as the second resin.

  It is preferable to use the same type of synthetic resin for the first resin and the second resin. For example, when an epoxy resin is used for the first resin, it is preferable to use an epoxy resin for the second resin. Of course, depending on other conditions, different types of synthetic resins may be used for the first resin and the second resin.

  As the resin coating apparatus 34, a general coating apparatus that coats by applying a synthetic resin or the like can be used. Of course, the resin coating apparatus 34 is not limited to the above apparatus, and for example, a spray apparatus or the like may be used.

  The covering amount adjuster 36 has a function of adjusting the covering amount of the second resin by removing the excessively covered second resin. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the coating amount adjuster 36. The covering amount adjuster 36 has a gap 38 having a predetermined width. By passing the fiber bundle 14 coated with the second resin through the gap 38, the excessively coated second resin is removed, and the coating amount of the second resin can be adjusted. The covering amount adjuster 36 can be manufactured, for example, by providing a slit through which a fiber bundle 14 impregnated with the first resin is passed, in a metal sheet such as stainless steel, by drilling or the like. And in order to measure the coating amount of 2nd resin, the resin film thickness meter 40 which measures a resin film thickness is provided.

  The filament winding device 42 has a function of winding the fiber bundle 14 coated with the second resin delivered from the resin coating device 34 around a mandrel 44 or the like, which is a mold or a mandrel. The filament winding device 42 can wind the fiber bundle 14 coated with the second resin in the circumferential direction or the axial direction of the mandrel 44 or the like. For example, the filament winding device 42 may be a hoop winding that is wound substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis direction of the mandrel 44 or the like, or a helical winding that is wound at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotation axis direction of the mandrel 44 or the like. ) Or the like, the fiber bundle 14 coated with the second resin can be wound.

  When manufacturing a pressure vessel, for example, a high-pressure tank, a resin liner formed from polyamide resin or a metal liner formed from aluminum or the like can be used instead of the mandrel 44. Then, the fiber bundle 14 covered with the second resin is wound around the resin liner or the metal liner by the filament winding device 42 while applying tension, and laminated.

  The control device 46 is connected to the fiber tension measuring device 20, a resin temperature sensor (not shown) disposed in the resin impregnation device 22, and the resin film thickness gauges 32, 40 using a lead wire and a connector. The

  The control device 46 has a function of inputting an electrical signal of tension data of the fiber bundle 14 output from the fiber tension measuring device 20 and controlling the tension of the fiber bundle 14. And the control apparatus 46 has the function which can input the electric signal of the resin temperature data output from the resin temperature sensor (not shown) arrange | positioned at the resin impregnation apparatus 22, and can control resin temperature. Yes. The control device 46 inputs an electric signal of the resin film thickness data of the first resin output from the resin film thickness meter 32, and determines whether or not a predetermined predetermined resin amount is attached to the resin impregnated roller 26. It has a function that can be detected. The control device 46 can input an electric signal of the resin film thickness data output from the resin film thickness meter 40 and detect whether or not a predetermined resin amount serving as a reference is coated on the second resin. It has a function. Such a control device 46 can be constituted by, for example, a personal computer (PC). The data logger 48 connected to the control device 46 stores and stores the above-described tension data of the fiber bundle 14, resin temperature data, resin film thickness data of the first resin and the second resin, and the like.

  Next, the operation of the fiber reinforced composite material molding system 10 will be described.

  The fiber bundle 14 is fed out from the bobbin 16 of the fiber supply device 12, and the fiber bundle 14 fed out from the bobbin 16 is adjusted to a predetermined tension by the fiber tension adjusting device 18 and sent out from the fiber supply device 12.

  The fiber bundle 14 delivered from the fiber supply device 12 is measured for the tension applied to the fiber bundle 14 by the fiber tension measuring device 20. Here, the tension data of the fiber bundle 14 measured by the fiber tension measuring device 20 is output from the fiber tension measuring device 20 to the control device 46, and stored and stored in the data logger 48. Further, for example, when a predetermined reference tension is not applied to the fiber bundle 14, the control device 46 detects an abnormality in the tension and outputs an abnormality signal or the like. Thereby, for example, the fiber-reinforced composite material molding system 10 stops.

  The fiber bundle 14 that has passed through the fiber tension measuring device 20 is sent to the resin impregnation device 22. In the resin tank 24 in the resin impregnation apparatus 22, a liquid first resin made of, for example, an epoxy resin is stored. The resin temperature of the first resin is measured by a resin temperature sensor (not shown) such as a thermocouple. The resin temperature data is output from the resin temperature sensor (not shown) to the control device 46, stored in the data logger 48, and saved. For example, when the resin temperature of the first resin is not the set resin temperature, the control device 46 detects an abnormality in the resin temperature and outputs an abnormality signal or the like. Thereby, for example, the fiber-reinforced composite material molding system 10 stops.

  The resin-impregnated roller 26 comes into contact with the first resin stored in the resin tank 24 as the roller rotates, and the first resin adheres to the surface of the resin-impregnated roller 26. Then, the fiber bundle 14 pressed by the first tension roller 28 and the second tension roller 30 comes into contact with the resin impregnation roller 26, so that the fiber bundle 14 is impregnated with the first resin.

  The resin film thickness data of the first resin measured by the resin film thickness meter 32 is output from the resin film thickness meter 32 to the control device 46. The output resin film thickness data of the first resin is compared with the reference resin film thickness by the control device 46 and stored in the data logger 48. If the resin film thickness data of the first resin is smaller than the reference resin resin film thickness, the controller 46 determines that the fiber bundle 14 is not impregnated with an appropriate amount of resin. An abnormal signal or the like is output. Thereby, for example, the fiber-reinforced composite material molding system 10 stops.

  The fiber bundle 14 impregnated with the first resin is sent out to the resin coating device 34 after passing through the second tension roller 30. The fiber bundle 14 impregnated with the first resin is coated with the second resin applied by the resin coating device 34. The fiber bundle 14 coated with the second resin passes through the gap 38 provided in the coating amount adjuster 36, whereby the second resin that is excessively attached is removed and the coating amount of the second resin is adjusted. The

  FIG. 4 is a view showing the fiber bundle 14 coated with the second resin after the coating amount of the second resin is adjusted. The first resin 52 is impregnated between the fibers 50 constituting the fiber bundle 14, and the second resin 54 with a predetermined film thickness is formed on the surface of the fiber bundle 14 impregnated with the first resin 52. Covered.

  The resin film thickness data of the second resin measured by the resin film thickness meter 40 is output from the resin film thickness meter 40 to the control device 46. The output resin film thickness data of the second resin is compared with the reference resin film thickness by the control device 46 and stored in the data logger 48. When the resin film thickness data of the second resin is thinner than the reference resin resin film thickness, the control unit 46 impregnates the fiber bundle 14 impregnated with the first resin with an appropriate amount of second resin. It is determined that the resin is not coated, and an abnormal signal or the like is output. Thereby, for example, the fiber-reinforced composite material molding system 10 stops.

  The fiber bundle 14 coated with the second resin is sent out to the filament winding device 42. The fiber bundle 14 coated with the second resin is wound around the mandrel 44 or the liner of the high-pressure tank by the filament winding device 42 by hoop winding or the like and laminated. Thereafter, the laminated body in which the fiber bundle 14 coated with the second resin is wound around the mandrel 44 or the liner is heated in a resin curing furnace (not shown) to cure the resin and form a fiber reinforced composite material. Is done.

  Here, when the laminated body in which the fiber bundles 14 coated with the second resin are laminated is cured, the laminated body is heated, so that first, the curing reaction proceeds from the first resin, the degree of resin curing is greater, and the resin viscosity The second resin having a high value is cured first. Since the first resin has a lower curing reaction rate and a lower resin curing degree than the second resin, the resin viscosity of the first resin is low. However, since the second resin is cured and already solidified, the flow of the first resin with a low resin viscosity is stopped by the cured second resin. Therefore, the outflow of the first resin from the fiber bundle 14 impregnated with the resin is suppressed, and the fiber volume content can be controlled more accurately.

  Next, a fiber reinforced composite material molding system using a prepreg instead of the fiber bundle 14 will be described. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same element and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 5 is a view showing a fiber-reinforced composite material molding system 60 using the prepreg 62. Since the prepreg 62 in which the fiber is impregnated with the resin in advance is used, the resin impregnation apparatus 22 is not used. For the third resin contained in the prepreg, for example, a thermosetting resin such as an epoxy resin, a phenol resin, or an unsaturated polyester resin can be used. Of course, the third resin contained in the prepreg is not limited to the synthetic resin.

  The tension applied to the prepreg 62 is measured by the fiber tension measuring device 20 for the prepreg 62 sent out from the fiber supply device 12. The prepreg 62 whose tension has been measured is sent to the resin coating apparatus 34. The prepreg 62 is coated with the prepreg 62 by the resin coating device 34 by applying a fourth resin having a higher resin curing degree and a higher resin curing degree than the third resin contained in the prepreg 62. The prepreg 62 coated with the fourth resin passes through the gap 38 provided in the coating amount adjuster 36, whereby the excessively attached fourth resin is removed and the coating amount of the fourth resin is adjusted. .

  The prepreg 62 covered with the fourth resin is sent out to the filament winding device 42. The prepreg 62 coated with the fourth resin is wound around the mandrel 44 or the liner of the high-pressure tank by the filament winding device 42 by hoop winding or the like and laminated. Thereafter, the laminated body in which the prepreg 62 coated with the fourth resin is wound around the mandrel 44 or the liner is heated in a resin curing furnace (not shown) to cure the resin and form a fiber reinforced composite material. The

  Here, when the laminated body in which the prepreg 62 coated with the fourth resin is laminated is cured, first, the laminated body is heated, so that the curing reaction proceeds from the third resin contained in the prepreg 62 and the degree of resin curing is increased. The fourth resin having a large resin viscosity is cured first. Since the third resin contained in the prepreg 62 has a lower curing reaction rate and a lower resin curing degree than the fourth resin, the resin viscosity of the third resin is low. However, since the fourth resin is cured and already solidified, the flow of the third resin contained in the prepreg 62 having a low resin viscosity is stopped by the cured fourth resin. Therefore, since the outflow of the third resin from the prepreg 62 is suppressed, the fiber volume content can be controlled with higher accuracy.

  In addition, although the form for implementing this invention was demonstrated, this invention is not limited to said embodiment at all, and can be implemented with a various form in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention. Of course. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the filament winding method is used for the fiber reinforced composite material molding method is shown, but the present invention can also be applied to other fiber reinforced composite material molding methods such as the hand layup method. The invention is applicable.

  As described above, according to the above configuration, the second resin coated on the fiber impregnated with the first resin is cured earlier than the first resin impregnated with the fiber at the time of curing. 1 resin outflow can be suppressed. Thereby, the fiber volume content of the fiber reinforced composite material can be controlled more accurately.

  According to the above configuration, since the fiber volume content of the fiber reinforced composite material can be adjusted with higher accuracy, when the fiber volume content is changed in the layer direction of the fiber reinforced composite material (for example, resin volume) Even in a two-layer structure in which the content is larger than the fiber volume content and the resin volume content is smaller than the fiber volume content, the fiber volume content can be more accurately controlled and molded.

  According to the above configuration, since the outflow of the first resin impregnated in the fiber can be suppressed, formation of voids, cracks, and the like can be suppressed.

  According to the above configuration, in the filament winding molding method of the fiber reinforced composite material, the amount of the first resin impregnated in the fiber and the amount of the second resin coated on the fiber impregnated with the first resin By managing with a resin film thickness meter or the like, the fiber volume content can be managed in the fiber reinforced composite material molding step.

  According to the above configuration, even when a prepreg is used instead of the fiber, the fourth resin covered by the prepreg is cured first before the third resin contained in the prepreg, and thus is contained in the prepreg. The outflow of the third resin can be suppressed. Thereby, the fiber volume content of the fiber reinforced composite material can be controlled more accurately.

In embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows the structure of a fiber reinforced composite material shaping | molding system. In embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows the relationship between elapsed time when a thermosetting resin is exposed at 25 degreeC, and resin viscosity. In embodiment of this invention, it is a schematic diagram which shows a coating amount regulator. In embodiment of this invention, it is sectional drawing which shows the fiber bundle with which the 2nd resin was coat | covered after the coating amount of 2nd resin was adjusted. In embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows the fiber reinforced composite material shaping | molding system which uses a prepreg.

Explanation of symbols

  10, 60 Fiber reinforced composite material molding system, 12 Fiber supply device, 14 Fiber bundle, 16 Bobbin, 18 Fiber tension adjusting device, 20 Fiber tension measuring device, 22 Resin impregnation device, 24 Resin tank, 26 Resin impregnation roller, 28 1 tension roller, 30 second tension roller, 32, 40 resin film thickness meter, 34 resin coating device, 36 coating amount adjuster, 38 gap, 42 filament winding device, 44 mandrel, 46 control device, 48 data logger, 50 fibers, 52 1st resin, 54 2nd resin, 62 prepreg.

Claims (5)

A fiber-reinforced composite material molding system for molding a fiber bundle by impregnating a resin,
A resin impregnation apparatus for impregnating the fiber bundle with the first resin;
A resin coating apparatus that coats the second resin on the fiber bundle impregnated with the first resin;
With
The fiber-reinforced composite material molding system, wherein the second resin has a resin viscosity higher than that of the first resin. The fiber-reinforced composite material molding system according to claim 1,
A fiber reinforcement characterized by comprising a coating amount adjusting means for adjusting the coating amount of the second resin by removing the excess second resin by passing the fiber bundle coated with the second resin through the gap. Composite material molding system. The fiber-reinforced composite material molding system according to claim 1 or 2,
The fiber-reinforced composite material molding system, wherein the first resin and the second resin are thermosetting resins. A fiber reinforced composite material molding method in which a fiber bundle is impregnated with a resin and molded,
A resin impregnation step of impregnating the fiber bundle with the first resin;
A resin coating step of coating the second resin on the fiber bundle impregnated with the first resin;
With
The fiber-reinforced composite material molding method, wherein the second resin has a resin viscosity higher than that of the first resin. A fiber reinforced composite material molded by impregnating a fiber bundle with resin,
Impregnating the fiber bundle with the first resin,
A fiber-reinforced composite material formed by coating a fiber bundle impregnated with a first resin with a second resin having a higher resin viscosity than the first resin.

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