Open Access

ARTICLE

A Methodology to Reduce Thermal Gradients Due to the Exothermic Reactions in Resin Transfer Molding Applications

Aouatif Saad^1,*, Mohammed EL Ganaoui²

1 Advanced Systems Engineering Laboratory, National School of Applied Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, 242, Morocco
2 LERMAB/IUT Longwy, Institut Carnot, Nancy, 186, France

* Corresponding Author: Aouatif Saad. Email:

(This article belongs to this Special Issue: Materials and Energy an Updated Image for 2021)

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2023, 19(1), 95-103. https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2023.022014

Received 16 February 2022; Accepted 30 March 2022; Issue published 02 August 2022

Abstract

Resin transfer molding (RTM) is among the most used manufacturing processes for composite parts. Initially, the resin cure is initiated by heat supply to the mold. The supplementary heat generated during the reaction can cause thermal gradients in the composite, potentially leading to undesired residual stresses which can cause shrinkage and warpage. In the present numerical study of these processes, a one-dimensional finite difference method is used to predict the temperature evolution and the degree of cure in the course of the resin polymerization; the effect of some parameters on the thermal gradient is then analyzed, namely: the fiber nature, the use of multiple layers of reinforcement with different thermal properties and also the temperature cycle variation. The validity of this numerical model is tested by comparison with experimental and numerical results in the existing literature.

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Keywords

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