Effect of cure on mechanical properties of a composite (Part 1 of 2)

The motivation to achieve a ‘proper cure’ seems obvious or intuitive but what really happens if we don’t cure a thermoset composite properly? How does the degree of cure affect the mechanical properties of the material? How does the degree of cure affect the material’s ability to stand up to ‘hot’ conditions and/or ‘wet’ conditions?

In the first of this two-part webinar series, we will discuss thermal management of the curing process and identify potential situations where a composite may be under-cured or thermally degraded (exposed to excessive temperature during cure). Then we will look at the results of over 125 mechanical tests including tensile, compression, in-plane shear (Iosipescu), and short-beam shear (interlaminar shear strength) on specimens that have been significantly under cured, moderately under-cured, cured according to the manufacturer’s recommended cure cycle, and thermally degraded to identify the effect this has on mechanical properties. This data will be compared to NCAMP data on the same material as a benchmark.

In the second part of this two-part webinar series, we will extend what was done in the first part to look at the effect on specimens that have been conditioned in moisture (‘wet’ condition) and tested at both ambient temperatures and elevated temperatures (‘hot’ condition), commonly referred to as ‘hot-wet’ conditions.

This work was done in collaboration with ZwickRoell and the Technical University of Munich. It will be partially presented by Dr. Hannes Körber, Industry Manager Composites, ZwickRoell.

This presentation is part of the ongoing CKN webinar series. Content discussed in the webinar is linked to the Knowledge in Practice Centre, allowing users to access this and other content in a consistent and coherent manner.

Presenters: Dr. Casey Keulen, Scott Nesbit, and Dr. Hannes Körber

This webinar is co-hosted by Composites Knowledge Network (CKN), SAMPE Canada and ZwickRoell