Physical and Mechanical Characterization of Radiation-Curable Carbon Fibre Composites

Abstract

Radiation processing is the utilization of ionizing radiation, usually photons or electron beams, to produce useful physical and chemical changes in a material. A potential application for electron beam processing for composite manufacturing is for curing carbon fibre prepregs. These prepregs, carbon fibres or fabrics preimpregnated with liquid polymer resin, are commonly used in many industries, including aircraft and aerospace, automotive, electronics, construction and various commercial products. The objective of this experimental program is to design and manufacture a radiation-curable polymer-carbon fibre prepreg that meets the typical mechanical and physical property specifications set by the aircraft industry. This paper describes our current work in the design, manufacture and characterization of radiation-curable prepregs.