Autoclave Molding of Graphite Epoxy Composites

A typical cure cycle is shown in Fig. 9.12. Somewhere in the plateau at 135°C the autoclave pressure is applied. This step provokes the elimination of resin, which is absorbed by the bleeder cloth, and the increase in the fiber 

The evolution of temperature and conversion profiles in the part may be simulated by solving Eqs (9.2) and (9.3), with the following initial and boundary conditions  

Vf is the volume fraction of fibers, L is taken as 2 cm to simulate the cure of a thick part, and T Ct) is the cure cycle described in Fig. 9.12. It is (arbitrarily) assumed that the boundary between the laminate and the bleeder cloth behaves adiabatically. A better simulation would have to consider the heat transfer to the bleeder cloth. 

The constitutive equations for the cure kinetics and the values of the different parameters that are necessary to solve the differential equations were taken from the experimental work performed by Mijovic and Wang (1988)  

The relationship between glass transition temperature and conversion is given by (Williams et al., 1990)  

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