Used for moderately high temperature applications in the form of continuous fibers
Thermosetting Polymers:
Thermoset materials cannot be remelted or reformed after when these materials are cured. During the curing process, these materials form three-dimensional molecular chains, which are known as cross-linkings. Due to these cross-linkings, the molecules are not flexible and cannot be remelted and reshaped. The greater the number of crosslinkings, the more rigid and thermally stable the material will be. Thermosets may soften to some extent at higher temperatures. Thermosets are brittle in nature and are generally used with some form of filler and reinforcement. Easy processability and better fiber impregnation can be achieved when thermosetting polymers are used because the liquid resin is used at room temperature for various processes. Thermosets offer greater dimensional stability, better rigidity, and higher electrical, chemical, and solvent resistance. In thermoset polymers, the molecular chains are chemically joined together by cross-linking, forming a rigid and three-dimensional network structure. Once these crosslinks are developed during the polymerization process/reaction (which is known as the curing reaction), the thermoset polymer cannot be softened or melted and reshaped by applying heat and pressure. But if there is lower the number of cross-linkings between the molecular chains then it is possible to soften them at higher temperatures. Thermoset materials are generally stronger than thermoplastic materials due 3-D network of molecular chains and also exhibit better performance at high-temperature up to the decomposition temperature of the material.
Hand Lay-up:
The resin material is usually rolled into reinforcing fibers that are placed in the mold (after a release film and gel coat in some cases). Hand lay-up is commonly used in the US aircraft industry to produce PMC parts.
Spray Lay-up:
In spray lay-up the reinforcement fibers are first chopped and mixed with resin and then sprayed into the mold. In order to achieve the complete wetting of the fiber bundles a roller is used. Using this technique low specific strength structures are produced.
Compression Molding:
In this process uncured resin and reinforcing material are mixed together and then spread into the cavity of a matched mold. As the mold is closed then the pressure increases, which results in filling the mold and the part is formed. This method may be used with prepregs also.
Expansion RTM:
In this technique the expansion of the material takes lace when heated is placed in the preform. The resin is infused and the mold is heated which results in the expansion of the core material and subsequently the resin is forced into the remaining parts of the preform.
Transfer Molding:
The mechanism is similar to compression molding but the preformed mold is closed when the resin material is injected into it.
Filament Winding:
In this process the spools carrying the fibers are mounted to a creel. The strands of fibers from each spool are combined together and pulled through a resin bath. The strands are then fully activated with an initiator or hardener and the excess resin is removed. Then these strands are passed through a drying device and wound on to mandrel, which results into a desired part. Filament winding is used more extensively to manufacture composites than all other lay-up methods combined.
Fiber Placement:
Similar to filament winding, but enables all axes of motion.
Pultrusion:
Similarly as in the process of filament winding the continuous reinforcing fibers are drawn from creels, formed into a general shape, and drawn through a resin bath. The wetted fibers are then shaped (according to the requirement) as they converge toward a heated die, where curing occurs. As the perform exit the die it passes through a pulling system, which provides the force that pulls the materials through the entire system. The pultruded part is then cut and trimmed to the desired size.
Thermoforming:
The matrices are used that can repeatedly be softened or melted on heating and hardened or solidified on cooling, and that can provide increased fracture toughness and higher hot-wet use temperatures (thermoplastics).