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Numerical analysis on the flow–compaction behavior and the effect of interface permeability in thick composite plates during autoclave processing

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Abstract

A multi-field coupled model was developed to simulate the flow–compaction behavior of thick composite laminates manufactured by the autoclave process based on Darcy’s law and the effective compaction stress theory. The model was verified by comparing the predictions with the experiment results of a thick unidirectional laminate. The results show that the resin flow and compaction of fiber bed start from the top surface and gradually spread into the interior region, and the non-uniform resin flow along the thickness direction causes a gradient distribution of fiber volume fraction in the thick composite part. A cross-plied composite laminate model with a thin interlaminar layer was constructed, and the effect of the interlaminar transverse permeability on the flow–compaction behavior of the thick cross-plied laminate was numerically analyzed. The results indicate that the thick cross-plied composite laminate with high interlaminar transverse permeability has the similar flow–compaction process with that of the thick unidirectional laminate. An interlaminar layer with low transverse permeability impedes the resin flowing out from the interior of the thick cross-plied composite laminate and causes a lower fiber volume fraction compared with that in a unidirectional laminate.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China under Grant Nos. 2018IB003 and 2018IB004.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hubei Key Laboratory of Theory and Application of Advanced Materials Mechanics, School of Science, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China

    Yanliang Qiao, Jiangtao Zhang, Mei Zhang, Haixiao Hu, Lisheng Liu, Pengcheng Zhai & Shuxin Li

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TR, UK

    Shuxin Li

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  1. Yanliang Qiao
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  2. Jiangtao Zhang
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  3. Mei Zhang
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  4. Haixiao Hu
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  5. Lisheng Liu
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  6. Pengcheng Zhai
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  7. Shuxin Li
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Correspondence to Jiangtao Zhang.

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Qiao, Y., Zhang, J., Zhang, M. et al. Numerical analysis on the flow–compaction behavior and the effect of interface permeability in thick composite plates during autoclave processing. J Mater Sci 53, 14412–14422 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-018-2660-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-018-2660-2

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