Control of the Process of Impregnation and Curing in the Manufacture of Products from Polymer Composite Materials
\nKhaldoon Hussein Hamzah\u2020*, Akeel Hssain Kadium\u2021, Qasim Saad Abdulwahid\u2021\u2020
\n\u2020Materials Engineering Department, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Diwaniya, Iraq.
\n\u2021University of Al-Qadisiyah, Diwaniya, Iraq.
\n\u2021\u2020Materials Engineering Department, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Diwaniya, Iraq.
\n*Corresponding author email: khaldoon.hussein@qu.edu.iq
\nABSTRACT
\nThe possibility of using the dielectric analysis method to control the process of impregnation and curing of epoxy binders in the process of manufacturing products from composite materials is investigated. Ion viscosity was used as a control parameter for the impregnation and curing processes. It was shown that the data obtained by dielectric analysis reflect well the dynamic viscosity and cure kinetics of the thermosetting binder and are consistent with the rheology and differential scanning calorimetry data. The control curing scheme of the binder was simulated during the manufacturing process of the bracket auxiliary power unit of the helicopter. The results of this work can be used in the manufacture of products of complex shape from polymer composite materials.
\nKEYWORDS
\nEpoxy binders, Curing processes, Polymer composite materials.
\nINTRODUCTION
\nCurrently, we can note the trend of the transition of manufacturing technologies for critical products from polymer composite materials to an integrated circuit [1,2]. This is due to the possibility of simultaneous molding of products with complex geometry, and consisting of structural elements with various configurations without additional technological operations of their connection. Quite often, integrated structures are characterized by the combination of structural elements of different thicknesses over the cross section. With existing methods of molding in a composite, the problem arises is creating the same conditions for the polymerization of a binder in thin and massive structural elements and, especially, in the zones of their interface. The curing of the binder continues throughout the entire technological cycle, starting from the moment of its preparation and ending in the finished product. To ensure high quality polymer matrix in various zones, it is necessary to control the processes of impregnation and curing of the binder during molding [3,4]<\/p>\n