An aerospace grade prepreg 977-2A carbon=epoxy composite was processed using traditional oven=autoclave and relatively new technique, Quickstep (QS). The manufacturer's recommended autoclave cure cycle was employed for oven=autoclave processing while due to greater flexibility to control the cure cycle temperature in order to manipulate the resin viscosity, several cure cycles were employed for Quickstep processing. Optimization methodology and effect of these cure schedules and their comparison with traditional oven=autoclave curing is presented in previously published article. However, in order to reduce the total cycle time of QS AD (QS-60) cure schedule, an attempt was made to facilitate the excess resin to squeeze out during QS-35 and QS-45 cure. This attempt was based on the incorporation of double vacuum bagging (DVB) technique into Quickstep processing. Statistical analysis was performed to investigate any effect of DVB in Quickstep processing and it was observed that incorporation of DVB in Quickstep processing is not found to be significantly effective, however, it is believed that small resin rich patches of QS-45 cured panels can be removed with controlled application of external pressure using DVB. POLYM. COMPOS., 34:942-952,
The hygrothermal effect on the flexural, interfacial and glass transition behaviors of 977-2A carbon/epoxy composites cured in an autoclave and by using Quickstep were evaluated in the previous paper. This article concerns with the hygrothermal effect on the mode I and mode II delamination resistance of the samples cured in an autoclave and by Quickstep. It was observed that the mean initiation and propagation GC values (i.e. GIC and GIIC) of both autoclave and Quickstep 60 cured specimens were apparently reduced after hygrothermal conditioning; however, the data obtained from both autoclave and Quickstep 60 cured specimens in dry and wet states were not statistically significant. The scanning electron micrograph confirmed the enhancement of matrix ductility; however, no effect of this matrix ductility was observed in the GIC and GIIC data.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.