Reinforced-plastic preimpregnation

Most carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) used and investigated to date are produced from preimpregnated continuous carbon fibre prepregs. Polymers reinforced with aligned short carbon fibres have certain advantages as materials for structural components, because they can easily be formed into complicated shapes with satisfactory mechanical properties. Woven fabrics produced from carbon fibres find increasing application in the aerospace and many other industries, because they are easy to handle, they have the ability to conform to complicated shapes and the in-plane properties are more isotropic than those of equivalent unidirectional materials. 

Fig. 7-6. Automated-integrated reinforced plastics lay-up process that uses TS preimpregnated reinforced sheet.

Preimpregnated materials usually are a compound of a reinforcement and a hot melt or solvent system. Prepreg also includes wet systems without solvent using TS polyester. They are stored for use at a latter time either in-house or to ship to a fabricator. The plastic is partially cured, B-stage, ready-to-mold material in web form that may have a substrate of glass fiber mat, fabric, roving, paper, cotton cloth, and so forth. With proper temperature storage conditions, their shelf life can be controlled to last at least 6 months. 

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