Preparation of Composite Specimen from Prepreg Systems

3 Preparation of composite specimen from prepreg systems 

To produce a composite from prepreg, it is necessary to know the areal weight, fiber content of the prepreg and the number of plies required. The number of plies required for a 60% fy-composite will be given by  

A butyl rubber sheet, or high temperature plastic film, is held taut aeross two vertieally stacked metal frames or rings, which are themselves sealed between the two platens of a press. The requisite number of prepreg plies is formed into a preform, which is sandwiched between sheets of PTFE coated glass cloth, or a non-perforated PTFE film with a perforated PTFE film next to the preform, and the paek placed on a steel plate sprayed with a fluorocarbon release agent and positioned on the bottom heated platen of the press. The preform 

Metal caulplate (coated with fluorocarbon release agent) Bleeder plies 

Upper ring Rubber bag Lower ring Rubber gaslret  

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