Accelerated microwave curing of fibre-reinforced thermoset polymer composites for structural applications: A review of scientific challenges

Date published

2018-09-12

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Elsevier

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Article

ISSN

1359-835X

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Citation

Mgbemena CO, Li D, Lin MF, et al., Accelerated microwave curing of fibre-reinforced thermoset polymer composites for structural applications: A review of scientific challenges. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, Volume 115, December 2018, pp. 88-103

Abstract

Accelerated curing of high performance fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites via microwave heating or radiation, which can significantly reduce cure time and increase energy efficiency, has several major challenges (e.g. uneven depth of radiation penetration, reinforcing fibre shielding, uneven curing, introduction of hot spots etc). This article reviews the current scientific challenges with microwave curing of FRP composites considering the underlying physics of microwave radiation absorption in thermoset-matrix composites. The fundamental principles behind efficient accelerated curing of composites using microwave radiation heating are reviewed and presented, especially focusing on the relation between penetration depth, microwave frequency, dielectric properties and cure degree. Based on this review, major factors influencing microwave curing of thermoset-matrix composites are identified, and recommendations for efficient cure cycle design are provided.

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Software Description

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Github

Keywords

Microwave curing, Thermosetting polymers, Depth of penetration, Dielectric constant, Fibre-reinforced polymer composite

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

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