Paper number 297

ADVANCED COMPOSITES MANUFACTURED VIA DRY POWDER PREPREGGING

T. A. Bullions¹, A.C. Loos¹, and J.E. McGrath²

1Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Mail Code: 0219, 219 Norris Hall, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0219, USA
2Department of Chemistry, Mail Code: 0212, 2111 Hahn Hall,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0212, USA

Summary

Work at the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center (NSF S&TC) for High Performance Polymeric Adhesives and Composites at Virginia Tech has focused on the emerging technology of dry powder prepregging as a method of overcoming the high-melt viscosities of high-performance polymers. Three NSF S&TC projects utilizing dry powder prepregging to manufacture advanced composites are discussed. The effects of prepregging, processing, and polymer particle parameters on the consolidation quality of carbon fiber composites fabricated from dry powder coated prepreg will be examined. The first project brings forth several important questions concerning the influence of PEEK powder particle size on composite consolidation quality. The second project determines the optimal consolidation pressure and hold time for GR-01 PPS/G30-500 composites. Finally, dry powder prepregging enables the manufacture of and measurement of the mechanical properties of carbon fiber-reinforced phenylethynyl terminated Ultem composites.

Keywords

dry powder prepregging, particle size, consolidation pressure, on-line consolidation, poly(phenylene sulfide), poly(ether ether ketone), phenylethynyl, Ultem.