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Composite Materials - Processing of Fiber Reinforced Composites

5 important questions on Composite Materials - Processing of Fiber Reinforced Composites

What techniques are there to orient large amounts of fibers in the same direction within a composite?

Pultrusion, Prepreg production and filament winding.

For what materials is pultrusion mostly used?

For composites consisting of components of continuous lengths and a constant cross-sectional shape.

How does the technique of pultrusion work?

Continuous fiber, or roving, is drawn and impregnated with a thermosetting resin.
After impregnation it passes trough a preforming steel die that preforms to the desired shape.
The stock then passes a curing die, which determines the final shape and initiate curing of the resin matrix.

How does the prepregging process work?

The prepregging begins with sandwiching the continuous fibers between release and carrier paper. This process is called calendering.
The release paper is coated with a thin film of resin.

How does the process of filament winding work?

The fiber are first fed trough a resin bath and than wound around a mandrel. When enough layers are applied the material is cured, after which the mandrel is removed.