Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Curing multidirectional carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites with indirect microwave heating

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Microwave curing technologies have many advantages in manufacturing fiber reinforced polymer composite materials used in aerospace products, compared with traditional autoclave curing technologies. However, multidirectional carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites can hardly be penetrated and heated by microwave directly, which has become a major obstacle in industrial application worldwide. In this paper, an indirect microwave curing method was proposed to solve this problem. The microwave absorption performance of the indirect microwave heating medium was systematically optimized by evaluating its dielectric properties and reflection loss according to the transmission line theory. On this basis, the microwave susceptive mold was carefully designed and manufactured. Subsequently, the multidirectional carbon fiber/epoxy composite was successfully cured with indirect microwave heating, which was demonstrated by the observation of the curing process with infrared thermal imager and differential scanning calorimetry analysis of the final products. Compared with the traditional thermal curing method, the curing cycle and energy consumption were reduced by 42.1% and 75.9% respectively. Results of further characterization experiments indicated that the mechanical properties of indirect microwave cured specimens were slightly higher than those of the thermally cured counterparts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Salonitis K, Pandremenos J, Paralikas J, Chryssolouris G (2010) Multifunctional materials: engineering applications and processing challenges. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 49(5):803–826

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Lu Y, Li Y, Li N, Wu X (2017) Reduction of composite deformation based on tool-part thermal expansion matching and stress-free temperature theory. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 88(5–8):1703–1710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Golzar M, Poorzeinolabedin M (2010) Prototype fabrication of a composite automobile body based on integrated structure. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 49(9):1037–1045

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Li Y, Li N, Gao J (2014) Tooling design and microwave curing technologies for the manufacturing of fiber-reinforced polymer composites in aerospace applications. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 70(1–4):591–606

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Kwak M, Robinson P, Bismarck A, Wise R (2015) Microwave curing of carbon-epoxy composites: penetration depth and material characterization. Compos Part A-Appl S 75:18–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Zhou J, Li Y, Li N, Hao X (2017) Enhanced interlaminar fracture toughness of carbon fiber/bismaleimide composites via microwave curing. J Compos Mater 51(18):2585–2595

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Nightingale C, Day RJ (2002) Flexural and interlaminar shear strength properties of carbon fibre/epoxy composites cured thermally and with microwave radiation. Compos Part A-Appl S 33(7):1021–1030

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Papargyris DA, Day RJ, Nesbitt A, Bakavos D (2008) Comparison of the mechanical and physical properties of a carbon fibre epoxy composite manufactured by resin transfer moulding using conventional and microwave heating. Compos Sci Technol 68(7):1854–1861

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Zhou J, Li Y, Li N, Hao X, Liu C (2016) Interfacial shear strength of microwave processed carbon fiber/epoxy composites characterized by an improved fiber-bundle pull-out test. Compos Sci Technol 133:173–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Joshi SC, Bhudolia SK (2014) Microwave–thermal technique for energy and time efficient curing of carbon fiber reinforced polymer prepreg composites. J Compos Mater 48(24):3035–3048

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Mishra RR, Sharma AK (2016) Microwave-material interaction phenomena: heating mechanisms, challenges and opportunities in material processing. Compos Part A-Appl S 81:78–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Chandrakanth RG, Rajkumar K, Aravindan S (2010) Fabrication of copper-TiC-graphite hybrid metal matrix composites through microwave processing. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 48(5–8):645–653

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Wu X, Li Y, Li N, Zhou J, Hao X (2017) Analysis of the effect and mechanism of microwave curing on the chemical shrinkage of epoxy resins. High Perform Polym 29(10):1165–1174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Zhou J, Li Y, Cheng L, Hao X (2017) Dielectric properties of continuous fiber reinforced polymer composites: modeling, validation, and application. Polym Compos. https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.24579

  15. Zhou J, Li Y, Hao X, Li N (2017) High-pressure microwave curing technology for advanced polymer matrix composite materials. Advances in manufacturing technology XXXI: Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Manufacturing Research, Incorporating the 32nd National Conference on Manufacturing Research, September 5–7, 2017, University of Greenwich, UK. IOS Press 6:57

  16. Zhao H, Turner I, Yarlagadda P, Berg K (2001) Numerical modelling and optimisation of a microwave enhanced rapid prototyping. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 17(12):916–927

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Li N, Li Y, Hao X, Gao J (2015) A comparative experiment for the analysis of microwave and thermal process induced strains of carbon fiber/bismaleimide composite materials. Compos Sci Technol 106:15–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Xu X, Wang X, Cai Q, Wang X, Wei R, Du S (2015) Improvement of the compressive strength of carbon fiber/epoxy composites via microwave curing. J Mater Sci Technol 32(3):226–232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Tominaga Y, Shimamoto D, Hotta Y (2016) Quantitative evaluation of interfacial adhesion between fiber and resin in carbon fiber/epoxy composite cured by semiconductor microwave device. Compos Interfaces 23(5):395–404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Lee WI, Springer GS (1984) Microwave curing of composites. J Compos Mater 18(4):387–409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Paulauskas FL (1996) Variable frequency microwave (VFM) curing processing of thermoset prepreg laminates. Final report. Office of Scientific & Technical Information Technical Reports

  22. Thostenson ET, Chou TW (1996) Microwave processing: fundamentals and applications. Compos Part A-Appl S 30(9):1055–1071

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Potente H, Karger O, Fiegler G (2003) Heatability of plastics in the microwave field—investigations on direct and indirect mw-welding. Weld World 47(7–8):25–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Seyrankaya A, Ozalp B (2006) Dehydration of sodium carbonate monohydrate with indirect microwave heating. Thermochim Acta 448(1):31–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Grossin D, Marinel S, Noudem JG (2006) Materials processed by indirect microwave heating in a single-mode cavity. Ceram Int 32(8):911–915

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Nanthakumar B, Pickles CA, Kelebek S (2007) Microwave pretreatment of a double refractory gold ore. Miner Eng 20(11):1109–1119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Cuevas LPC, Franco MA, Baltazar EH (2012) Indirect microwave heating to pharmaceutical excipients: lactose hydrate. Powder Technol 224:57–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Chowdhury T, Shi M, Hashisho Z, Kuznicki SM (2013) Indirect and direct microwave regeneration of Na-ETS-10. Chem Eng Sci 95(3):27–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Heuguet R, Marinel S, Thuault A, Badev A (2013) Effects of the susceptor dielectric properties on the microwave sintering of alumina. J Am Ceram Soc 96(12):3728–3736

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Nasybullin AR, Danilaev MP, Bogoslov EA (2015) Research of the thermal destruction mechanism of non-absorbing polymers with microwave energy exposure. Int Conf Ant Theo Tech IEEE 1–3

  31. Rao S, Chiranjeevi MC, Rajendra Prakash M (2016) Vacuum-assisted microwave processing of glass-epoxy composite laminates using novel microwave absorbing molds. Polym Compos. https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.24044

  32. Veronesi P, Colombini E, Rosa R, Leonelli C, Rosi F (2016) Microwave assisted synthesis of Si-modified Mn25FexNi25Cu(50−x) high entropy alloys. Mater Lett 162:277–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Singh P, Babbar VK, Razdan A, Srivastava SL, Puri RK (1999) Complex permeability and permittivity, and microwave absorption studies of Ca(CoTi)xFe12−2xO19 hexaferrite composites in X-band microwave frequencies. Mat Sci Eng B 67(3):132–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. ASTM D6641/D6641M (2016) Standard test method for determining the compressive properties of polymer matrix composite laminates using a combined loading compression (CLC) test fixture

  35. ASTM D2344/D2344M (2016) Standard test method for short-beam strength of polymer matrix composite materials and their laminates

  36. Farag S, Sobhy A, Akyel C, Doucet J, Chaouki J (2012) Temperature profile prediction within selected materials heated by microwaves at 2.45 GHz. Appl Therm Eng 36:360–369

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Zhou J, Li Y, Li N, Liu S, Cheng L, Sui S, Gao J (2018) A multi-pattern compensation method to ensure even temperature in composite materials during microwave curing process. Compos Part A-Appl S 107:10–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 51575275), and jointly supported by the Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (KYCX17_0282). The authors sincerely appreciate the continuous support provided by our industrial collaborators.

Publisher’s NoteSpringer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, China

    Yingguang Li, Libing Cheng & Jing Zhou

Authors
  1. Yingguang Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Libing Cheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jing Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yingguang Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, Y., Cheng, L. & Zhou, J. Curing multidirectional carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites with indirect microwave heating. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 97, 1137–1147 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-018-1974-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-018-1974-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation