WO1999052695A1 - Moulding method using a prepreg - Google Patents
Moulding method using a prepreg Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1999052695A1 WO1999052695A1 PCT/GB1999/001035 GB9901035W WO9952695A1 WO 1999052695 A1 WO1999052695 A1 WO 1999052695A1 GB 9901035 W GB9901035 W GB 9901035W WO 9952695 A1 WO9952695 A1 WO 9952695A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- prepreg
- resin
- moulding
- article
- viscosity
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
- B29C70/04—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts comprising reinforcements only, e.g. self-reinforcing plastics
- B29C70/28—Shaping operations therefor
- B29C70/30—Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core
- B29C70/34—Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core and shaping or impregnating by compression, i.e. combined with compressing after the lay-up operation
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C43/00—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor
- B29C43/02—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
Definitions
- the present invention concerns a method of moulding an article from a reinforced resin in the form of a prepreg.
- Prepreg materials are produced by impregnating a fibrous reinforcement material with a resin to produce a material which can be subsequently processed by the simultaneous application of pressure and heat curing the resin in the prepreg to give a solid laminate which is suitable for purposes where high structural performance or some other specific properties are required.
- the fibrous reinforcement material is usually in the form of a sheet but may be presented in a narrow strip or tow. In this specification the term "sheet" includes tows and other reinforcement structures.
- a method of moulding an article from prepreg including laying a sheet of prepreg on a mould to conform with the mould, treating the resin of the prepreg to increase its viscosity to a predetermined value which, when the sheet is cured by the simultaneous application of pressure and heat results in a reduction in voids within the laminate and pits on the moulded surface as compared with a conventional prepreg moulding technique, curing the resin and removing the cured or partially cured article from the mould.
- the method includes sequentially laying a plurality of sheets of prepreg on the mould and on each other, and treating each sheet to increase the viscosity to said predetermined value prior to laying the next sheet.
- each sheet is carried out after it has been laid.
- the resin of a conventional prepreg formulation is amended such that the said increase in viscosity of the prepreg can be achieved.
- the resin of a prepreg which cures at temperatures of less than 80°C is impregnated into the fibrous material and its viscosity is increased to said predetermined value by the application of ambient or mildly elevated temperature thereto.
- the resin of a prepreg which cures at temperatures of less than 80°C has its formulation amended such that the said increase in viscosity can be achieved.
- the resin ingredients and curing agents in the prepreg are modified such that the increase in viscosity to said predetermined value is obtained by applied cure initiation circumstance, for example ultra-violet light or electron beam.
- the resin ingredients and curing agents in the prepreg are modified such that the increase in viscosity to said predetermined value is obtained by the addition to the resin formulation of encapsulants/absorbents which release the active ingredients after a specified time period or time/temperature cycle.
- the resin ingredients and curing agents in the prepreg are modified such that the increase in viscosity to said predetermined value is obtained by the addition to the resin formulation of encapsulants/ absorbents which are activated by radiant heat or infra-red or electron beams or mechanical shock or a change in the pressure applied to the sheets of prepreg or some other physical or chemical releasing/initiating circumstances.
- the resins used in prepreg materials are usually thermosetting and formulated to give a level of viscosity which produces a suitable degree of tack and drape in the prepreg material. This implies that the resin is a semi-solid, as a liquid resin would give a wet sticky prepreg, whilst a solid resin would give a dry, stiff prepreg.
- the resin may be formulated so that the resin reacts to a limited extent prior to its use, so that the viscosity increases and therefore gives the correct degree of tack and drape in the final prepreg state.
- the prepreg may be heated during the impregnation process, or stored after manufacture in a warm environment for a set time to achieve the correct degree of further reaction, and hence the correct level of tack and drape.
- the present invention is based on the discovery that the viscosity of the resin at the start of the final curing process when vacuum/pressure is first applied to the mould and the prepreg layers thereon should be at or above a predetermined value which is considerably greater than that which is most desirable for optimum prepreg tack and drape properties.
- the actual viscosity level required varies from prepreg to prepreg and moulding situation to moulding situation. It is significantly higher than the viscosity required for the optimum combination of tack, drape and outlife parameters during a normal lay up operation especially where low temperature cure prepregs are used, for example LTM (Registered Trade Mark, Advanced Composite Components Ltd).
- a mould is prepared in the normal way and the first layer of prepreg is laid on the mould to conform to the shape of the mould.
- the resin formulation of the prepreg has been modified, for example by the addition of materials thereto, such that once the sheet of prepreg has been laid the additives can be activated with the result that the process resulting in the increase in the viscosity of the resin therein is started and over time the viscosity is increased to the said predetermined value when the process, known as the lay up B-staging process, is effectively finished. The viscosity will then remain at or close to this value until the final curing process is initiated.
- a further sheet of prepreg is then laid on the original treated sheet on the mould and when the further sheet is finally in position the viscosity of the resin therein is increased by the same method to the predetermined value.
- Subsequent sheets are then added in a similar manner with a viscosity increasing step applied after the sheet has been laid until the material on the mould achieves the desired thickness.
- the moulding process is then completed following normal techniques, for example by covering the mould with an impervious membrane, applying vacuum/pressure across the membrane and elevating the temperature of the assembly until curing is achieved. Thereafter the cured article can be removed from the mould and, in accordance with the invention, the formation of voids within the moulded material will have been reduced or eliminated as will the surface pitting on the mould side of the laminate.
- This desirable objective will also be influenced by the fibre/resin ratio, the degree of impregnation of the fibre in the prepreg, the distribution of the resin in the prepreg, the temperature the pressure and the time employed during the moulding process and the design of the auxiliary consumable pack, as well as, in some cases, other parameters.
- Another technique is to incorporate curing agents which are automatically activated or released from encapsulants/absorbents after a specified time period or time/temperature cycle.
- Other methods such as using direct radiant heating or infra-red radiation could be adopted and more energetic forms of radiation such as electron beams may be used.
- Mechanical shock or the application of vacuum, pressure or ultra-sound either alone or in combination with other methods may be possible initiation methods to promote the increase in viscosity to the predetermined level.
- a low temperature curing prepreg that is a prepreg which cures at less than 80°C
- a resin it is possible to increase the viscosity to the desired level by simply leaving the laid- up prepreg sheet at ambient temperature. As this is likely to be a time consuming process it is considered preferable to modify the resin content of the low temperature curing prepreg such that the increase of viscosity to the predetermined level prior to initiation of the final cure is speedily achieved.
- the moulded article could be formed from a single layer of prepreg.
- any suitable curing technique for example autoclaving may be employed.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Composite Materials (AREA)
- Reinforced Plastic Materials (AREA)
- Moulding By Coating Moulds (AREA)
- Compositions Of Macromolecular Compounds (AREA)
- Processing And Handling Of Plastics And Other Materials For Molding In General (AREA)
- Casting Or Compression Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP99914660A EP1071551A2 (en) | 1998-04-08 | 1999-04-01 | Moulding method using a prepreg |
JP2000543290A JP2002511349A (en) | 1998-04-08 | 1999-04-01 | Molding method using prepreg |
AU33390/99A AU3339099A (en) | 1998-04-08 | 1999-04-01 | Moulding method using a prepreg |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GBGB9807449.5A GB9807449D0 (en) | 1998-04-08 | 1998-04-08 | Improved moulding method |
GB9807449.5 | 1998-04-08 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO1999052695A1 true WO1999052695A1 (en) | 1999-10-21 |
WO1999052695A8 WO1999052695A8 (en) | 1999-12-02 |
Family
ID=10829999
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/GB1999/001035 WO1999052695A1 (en) | 1998-04-08 | 1999-04-01 | Moulding method using a prepreg |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1071551A2 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2002511349A (en) |
AU (1) | AU3339099A (en) |
GB (1) | GB9807449D0 (en) |
WO (1) | WO1999052695A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2016062787A3 (en) * | 2014-10-21 | 2016-06-16 | Hexcel Composites Limited | A process for producing a composite article |
Citations (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4101501A (en) * | 1975-08-14 | 1978-07-18 | Rudolf Hinterwaldner | Hardenable one-component substance, method of producing and hardening same and its application |
US4478771A (en) * | 1981-03-12 | 1984-10-23 | Herbert Schreiber | Method of manufacturing fibre-reinforced plastic articles, a prepreg for the manufacture of fibre-reinforced plastic articles and a fibre-reinforced plastic article |
US4810438A (en) * | 1987-04-30 | 1989-03-07 | The United States Of America As Represented By The United States National Aeronautics And Space Administration | Method of controlling a resin curing process |
EP0361331A2 (en) * | 1988-09-23 | 1990-04-04 | E.I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Process for preparation of tooling for composites manufacture |
EP0542508A1 (en) * | 1991-11-12 | 1993-05-19 | SIGNATURE CONTROL SYSTEMS, Inc. | Process and apparatus for controlling curing and thermoforming of resins and composites |
WO1993015131A2 (en) * | 1992-01-17 | 1993-08-05 | Brian Burnett Chandler | Curable resin systems and applications thereof |
US5417792A (en) * | 1989-08-31 | 1995-05-23 | United Technologies Corporation | Method for fabricating thermoplastic high temperature polymer graphite fiber composites |
EP0655476A1 (en) * | 1993-11-29 | 1995-05-31 | General Electric Company | Fibrous preforms containing cyclic polyester oligomers |
WO1995021738A1 (en) * | 1994-02-14 | 1995-08-17 | Thiokol Corporation | Chemorheologically tailored matrix resin formulations containing anhydride curing agents |
US5609805A (en) * | 1993-11-22 | 1997-03-11 | Compagnie Generale Des Establissements Michelin - Michelin & Cie | Process for producing a composite part by compression molding |
-
1998
- 1998-04-08 GB GBGB9807449.5A patent/GB9807449D0/en not_active Ceased
-
1999
- 1999-04-01 WO PCT/GB1999/001035 patent/WO1999052695A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1999-04-01 AU AU33390/99A patent/AU3339099A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1999-04-01 JP JP2000543290A patent/JP2002511349A/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1999-04-01 EP EP99914660A patent/EP1071551A2/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4101501A (en) * | 1975-08-14 | 1978-07-18 | Rudolf Hinterwaldner | Hardenable one-component substance, method of producing and hardening same and its application |
US4478771A (en) * | 1981-03-12 | 1984-10-23 | Herbert Schreiber | Method of manufacturing fibre-reinforced plastic articles, a prepreg for the manufacture of fibre-reinforced plastic articles and a fibre-reinforced plastic article |
US4810438A (en) * | 1987-04-30 | 1989-03-07 | The United States Of America As Represented By The United States National Aeronautics And Space Administration | Method of controlling a resin curing process |
EP0361331A2 (en) * | 1988-09-23 | 1990-04-04 | E.I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Process for preparation of tooling for composites manufacture |
US5417792A (en) * | 1989-08-31 | 1995-05-23 | United Technologies Corporation | Method for fabricating thermoplastic high temperature polymer graphite fiber composites |
EP0542508A1 (en) * | 1991-11-12 | 1993-05-19 | SIGNATURE CONTROL SYSTEMS, Inc. | Process and apparatus for controlling curing and thermoforming of resins and composites |
WO1993015131A2 (en) * | 1992-01-17 | 1993-08-05 | Brian Burnett Chandler | Curable resin systems and applications thereof |
US5609805A (en) * | 1993-11-22 | 1997-03-11 | Compagnie Generale Des Establissements Michelin - Michelin & Cie | Process for producing a composite part by compression molding |
EP0655476A1 (en) * | 1993-11-29 | 1995-05-31 | General Electric Company | Fibrous preforms containing cyclic polyester oligomers |
WO1995021738A1 (en) * | 1994-02-14 | 1995-08-17 | Thiokol Corporation | Chemorheologically tailored matrix resin formulations containing anhydride curing agents |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2016062787A3 (en) * | 2014-10-21 | 2016-06-16 | Hexcel Composites Limited | A process for producing a composite article |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP2002511349A (en) | 2002-04-16 |
GB9807449D0 (en) | 1998-06-10 |
WO1999052695A8 (en) | 1999-12-02 |
EP1071551A2 (en) | 2001-01-31 |
AU3339099A (en) | 1999-11-01 |
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