ISSN: 0884-6804
Page Count: 6

Laboratory Production of Discontinuous-Aligned Fiber Composite Plates Using an Autoclave-Style Press Cure
Deobald, LR
Professor and graduate assistants, University of Idaho, ID

Gibson, RF
Professor and graduate assistants, University of Idaho, ID

Suarez, SA
Professor and graduate assistants, University of Idaho, ID

Abstract

The objectives of this article are twofold: to describe a procedure that we have developed for producing laboratory quantities of discontinuous-aligned fiber composite materials and to discuss the autoclave-style press cure as an inexpensive laboratory-scale alternative to the industrial autoclave cure. We have produced discontinuous-aligned fiber composite plates from continuous fiber prepreg tapes of graphite/epoxy, Kevlar/epoxy, and boron/epoxy using a vacuum-bagged mold in a small laboratory press. Procedures and apparatus are described, and the quality of autoclave-cured samples is compared with that of autoclave-style press cured samples.

Keywords:
composite materials, composite fabrication, short fiber composites, discontinuous fiber reinforcement

Paper ID: CTR10294J
DOI: 10.1520/CTR10294J
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