Temperature prediction during cure for fibre reinforced unsaturated polyester materials (NT POLY 180)

Abstract

  This method specifies a route for the prediction of temperature in a composite system during cure. The test is based on a mathematical calculation procedure and is not a physical test of the materials but a simulation of an experiment, and thus replaces experimental tests. The advantages of the test method (simulation) compared with an equal test based on physical experiments are that conditions are exactly defined, repeatability and reproducibility are good and repeated tests with controlled variations can be made more efficient. It is intended for characterisation of resin material systems and composite manufacturing processes. The main result is the maximum temperature at the centre of the composite material during a processing cycle. This temperature prediction can be used for process optimisation and also for comparison of resin reactivity between different resins. Input data for boundary conditions and material properties excluding the composite material properties are given and are mandatory for the method. Prerequisites for use of the method are: a kinetic model that describes the development of cure for the resin material of interest, a computer program capable of heat flow calculations and thermal data of the composite material.