Module 3 – polymer

matrix composites
(PMC)
Module 3
• Polymer matrix composites (PMC) : thermoset, thermoplastic and
elastomeric polymers, properties, characteristics and applications as
matrix materials, processing of polymer matrix composites: hand methods,
Lay up method, spray up method, moulding methods, pressure bagging
and bag moulding methods, Autoclave-based processing with prepregs,
pultrusion and filament winding process.
Possible qns.
• Compare thermosetting and thermoplastic matrix material.
• List the function of components in pultrusion technique used in
PMCs.
• With neat sketch, explain the hand lay-up process?
• With neat sketches explain manufacturing of laminated composite
using prepreg.
• Explain the significance of various polymer materials used for PMC
production?
• With neat sketch, explain the bag moulding process?
Thermoset vs Thermoplastics
• The chemical properties of thermoset become permanently
strengthened when exposed to heat. Once thermoset plastics are
altered by exposure to heat, they cannot be remolded.
• Thermoplastics, on the other hand, can be reheated and remolded
without changing their chemical makeup.
Thermoset Plastic composites
• Thermoset materials are ideal for applications that must withstand
high-impact environments with rigorous demand. Since they are set
in their physical and chemical properties after initial exposure to heat,
they offer exceptional durability, structural integrity, and can
outperform metal materials in many settings.

• Thermoset plastic composites are created by combining a thermoset

polymer with fibers such as carbon or glass. They are additionally
attractive for a wide range of composite applications because of their
strength-to-weight advantages, resistance to corrosion and other
elements, and low cost of production.
Thermoplastic composites
• when heat and other elements are applied to thermoplastics, it does not cause chemical
changes, even as the physicality of the plastic changes to a liquid form. Thermoplastics
are an ideal choice for flexible, low-stress applications that need to withstand high
temperatures without losing their chemical integrity.

• Thermoplastics require high processing temperatures, and their use is becoming more
viable due to automated processes such as Automated Tape Laying (ATL) and Automated
Fiber Placement (AFP). With these processes, intense heat and pressure can be applied
locally with a laser and robot, eliminating the need for a press or oven.

• Thermoplastics are familiar to most people through their use in daily items such as water
bottles, packaging, toys, electronics, and plenty of other popular consumer products.
Thermoplastic composites are formed with the addition of fiber reinforcement, which
enhances the properties and allows for an even broader range of applications
Elastomeric Polymer
• An elastomeric polymer is a type of polymer that has elastic properties, which
means it can be stretched and then returns to its original shape when the
stress is removed. Elastomers are often referred to as rubber, and they have
a high elasticity and viscosity.
• These polymers are widely used in many applications due to their excellent
mechanical properties, such as high elongation, low modulus, and high
toughness. Elastomers are commonly used in the production of various
products, including tires, hoses, seals, gaskets, adhesives, and many other
items that require flexibility and durability.
• Elastomeric polymers are made from various materials, including natural
rubber, synthetic rubber, and thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs).
• Natural rubber is obtained from the sap of rubber trees, while synthetic
rubbers are produced by the polymerization of various monomers such as
styrene, butadiene, and chloroprene. TPEs are a combination of polymers
and are produced using a blend of materials such as polyurethane,
polyamide, and polyester.
Properties of elastomeric
polymer
Elastomeric polymers are often used as a matrix in composite
materials. In composites, the matrix is the material that binds and
supports the reinforcing fibers or particles. Elastomeric polymer
matrices are particularly useful for composites that require flexibility
and resilience, such as those used in automotive and aerospace
applications.
• When used as a matrix material in composites, elastomeric polymers
provide several benefits, including:
1.Flexibility: Elastomers are highly flexible and can withstand
significant deformation without breaking or cracking. This makes
them ideal for use in composites that need to be able to bend and
flex without breaking.
2.Damping: Elastomers are also good at absorbing and dissipating
energy, which makes them useful in composites that need to absorb
vibrations and shocks.
Properties of elastomeric
polymer
1.Adhesion: Elastomers have good adhesion properties, which
means that they can bond well with other materials, such as
reinforcing fibers or particles.
2.Chemical resistance: Some elastomers have excellent
chemical resistance, which makes them useful in composites
that are exposed to harsh chemicals or environments.
• Some examples of elastomeric polymers used as matrices in
composites include polyurethane, silicone rubber, and
fluorinated elastomers.
Use of matrix material
• Fibers, because of their small cross-sectional dimensions, cannot be
loaded directly. Further, fibers, acting alone, cannot transmit loads
from one to another to be able to share a load. This severely limits
their direct use in load bearing engineering applications. This
limitation is overcome by embedding them in a matrix material to
form a composite.
• The matrix binds the fiber together, transfers loads between them,
and protects them against environmental attack and damage due to
handling
Commonly used matrix materials are

• Polymers (commonly called plastics) are the most widely used matrix
material for fiber composites. Their chief advantages are low cost,
easy processibility good chemical resistance, and low specific gravity.
• On the other hand, low strength, low modulus, and low operating
temperatures limit their use. They also degrade by prolonged
exposure to ultraviolet light and some solvents.
Classification of polymers
Polymers are basically two types
1. thermosetting polymers
2. thermoplastic polymers
Thermoplastic polymers
• The polymers that soften or melt on heating, called thermoplastic
polymers, consist of linear or branched-chain molecules having strong
intramolecular bonds but weak intermolecular bonds.
• Melting and solidification of these polymers are reversible, and they can
be reshaped by application of heat and pressure.
• They are either semicrystalline or amorphous in structure.
• Examples include polyethylene, polystyrene, nylons, polycarbonate,
polyacetals, polyamide-imide, polyether-ether ketone (PEEK),
polysulfone, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and polyether imide.
Thermosetting plastics
• Thermosetting plastics have cross-linked or network structures with
covalent bonds between all molecules.
• They do not melt but decompose on heating. Once solidified by a
crosslinking ( curing) process, they cannot be reshaped.
• Common examples of thermosetting polymers include epoxide,
polyesters, phenolics, ureas, melamine, silicone, and polyimides.
Polymeric Matrix Materials

• Polyester and epoxy resins are the most common polymeric matrix
materials used with high performance reinforcing fibers. Both are
thermosetting polymers.
• Easy processibility and good chemical resistance are their chief
advantages.
Polymeric Matrix Materials

• Polyester Resin: A polyester resin is an unsaturated (reactive)

polyester solid dissolved in a polymerizable monomer.
• Epoxy Resins: Epoxy resins are low-molecular-weight organic liquids
containing several epoxide groups, which are three-membered rings
with one oxygen and two carbon atoms.
• The most common process for producing epoxies is the reaction of
epichlorohydrin with bisphenol-A and obtaining cross-linking by
introducing chemicals that react with the epoxy groups between the
adjacent chains.
Polymeric Matrix Materials
• Epoxy systems are superior to polyesters, particularly with regard to
adhesion with a wide variety of fibers, moisture resistance, and
chemical resistance.
Polymeric Matrix Materials

• Vinyl esters are closely related to the unsaturated polyesters. Like

unsaturated polyesters, they possess low viscosity and cure fast but
are slightly more expensive. They possess exceptional mechanical and
chemical performance characteristics and thus provide a transition in
mechanical properties and cost between polyesters and the high-
performance epoxy resins.
• Vinyl esters often are used because of their ease and speed of
processing and their good resistance to wet environments. Their
applications include high performance gel coats, pipes, and reaction
vessels.
Polymeric Matrix Materials

• Polyimides have a relatively high service temperature range (250-

300℃).
• They also possess excellent chemical and solvent resistance.
• Bismaleimides (BMls) are the most widely used thermosetting
polyimides for composites employed at high temperatures.
• However, these materials are inherently very brittle,
polymers as matrix materials

• Thermoplastic polymers are used extensively for short-fiber

composites in large-volume applications. The manufacturing cost
usually is lower because the composite can be manufactured by
mass-production methods much more quickly.
• Most of the manufacturing processes (e.g., injection molding) that
are used for unreinforced thermoplastics also can be adopted to
manufacture short-fiber-reinforced thermoplastics.
PROCESSING OF PMC’S
Prepreg
• A pregreg (short for preimpregnated) is a composite that comes with
the resin already added to the reinforcement.
• This means that the only concern when working with prepreg is
shaping the part.
• Since the resin is already mixed (resin and catalyst) there is a limited
shelf life
• For the same reason prepreg must be cured in an oven or autoclave
Thermosetting resin matrix composites fabrication

• Fabrication processes for thermosetting resin matrix composites can

be broadly classified as wet-forming processes and processes using
premixes or prepregs.
Wet processes
• In the wet-forming processes, the final product is formed while the
resin is quite fluid, and then the curing process is usually completed
by heating.
• The wet processes include hand lay-up, bag molding, resin-transfer
molding, filament winding, and pultrusion
Hand layup method
• A flat surface, a cavity (female) or a positive(male) mold, made from
wood, metal, plastics, reinforced plastics, or a combination of these
materials may be used. Fiber reinforcements and resin are placed
manually against the mold surface. Thickness is controlled by the
layers of materials placed against the mold.
• This technique, also called contact lay-up, is an open-mold method of
molding thermosetting resins (polyesters and epoxies) in association
with fibers (usually glass-fiber mat, fabric, or woven roving). A
chemical reaction initiated in the resin by a catalytic agent causes
hardening to a finished part.
Applications of hand lay up method

• Hand lay-up techniques are best used in applications where

production volume is low and other forms of production would be
prohibitive because of costs or size requirements.
• Typical applications include boat and boat hulls, ducts, pools, tanks,
furniture, and corrugated and flat sheets.
Steps of hand lay up process
• Mold preparation - Production mold preparation requires a thorough
machine buffing and polishing of the mold.
• After the desired finish has been attained, several coats (usually three
or four) of paste wax are applied for the purpose of mold release.
• Many different release systems are available, such as wax, polyvinyl
alcohol (PVA), fluorocarbons, silicones, release papers and release
films, and liquid internal releases.
Steps of hand lay up process
• Gel coating - When good surface appearance is desired, the first step
in the open-mold processes is the application of a specially
formulated resin layer called the gel coat.
• It is normally a polyester, mineral-filled, pigmented, nonreinforced
layer or coating.
• It is applied first to the mold and thus becomes the outer surface of
the laminate when complete. This produces a decorative, protective,
glossy, colored surface that requires little or no subsequent finishing
Steps of hand lay up process
• Hand lay-up - After properly preparing the mold and gel-coating it,
the next step in the molding process is material preparation. In hand
layup, the fiberglass is applied in the form of chopped strand mat,
cloth, or woven roving.
• Premeasured resin and catalyst (hardener) are then thoroughly mixed
together. The resin mixture can be applied to the glass either outside
of or on the mold.
• To ensure complete air removal and wet-out, serrated rollers are used
to compact the material against the mold to remove any entrapped
air
Spray Lay up method
• This is a partially automated form of hand lay-up.
• The spray lay-up process is a method that uses a hand gun to
spray resin and chopped fiber.
• It uses a low cost mold, and it is a preferred method to use for
big product finishing.
• It also uses a roller and brushes to clear the air and wet the
fiber. The mechanical properties of the final product depend on
the fiber orientation and the fiber constraints.
• The sprayed mixture that consists of fiber and resin is rolled
before the specimen is fully cured to avoid bubbles and voids
Advantages of hand lay up and spray up

1. Large and complex items can be produced.

2. Minimum equipment investment is necessary.
3. The startup lead time and cost are minimal.
4. Tooling cost is low.
5. Semiskilled workers are easily trained.
6. Design flexibility.
7. Molded-in inserts and structural changes are possible.
8. Sandwich constructions are possible.
Disadvantages of hand lay up and spray up

1. The process is labor-intensive.

2. It is a low-volume process.
3. Longer cure times may be required because room-temperature
curing agents generally are used.
4. Quality is related to the skill of the operator.
5. Product uniformity is difficult to maintain within a single part or from
one part to another.
6. Only one good (molded) surface is obtained.
7. The waste factor is high.
Bag Molding Processes
• The laminae (pre-impregnated or freshly impregnated with wet resin)
are laid up in a mold, covered with a flexible diaphragm or bag, and
cured with heat and pressure.
• After the required cure cycle, the materials become an integrated
molded part shaped to the desired configuration.
Bag Molding Processes
• on the basis of pressure and heat applied to the laminate during
curing, into pressure bag, vacuum bag, and autoclave.
• In pressure-bag molding, pressures above atmospheric and applied
on the laminate inside the closed mold. The curing is accomplished by
heating the mold in an oven.
• In vacuum-bag molding, air and other volatiles between the bag and
laminate are removed by, vacuum pump. Thus the laminate is
subjected to atmospheric pressure when it is being cured in an oven.
Components of bagging lay up
• In addition to the actual composite laminate, the lay-up include release coatings, peel
plies, release films, bleeder plies, breather plies, vacuum bags, sealant tape, and
damming material.
• Release agents are used to prevent the composite material from bonding to the mold.
• Peel plies protect the surface of the molded part from contamination.
• Release films are used to separate the bleeder or breathe materials from the composite
laminate.
• In some cases the release film is porous so that resin can flow through the film. Bleeder
and breather plies are, porous, high-temperature fabrics that are used to absorb excess
resin during processing.
• Breather plies provide a pathway into the composite laminate and act as a conduit for
the removal of air and volatiles during curing.
• Bagging films form a barrier between the composite laminate and the oven or autoclave
environment.
• https://youtu.be/_ik6e8ttEf0
Autoclave Processing
• Autoclave processing of composites is an extension of the vacuum-bag
technique. Autoclaves can be pressurized during processing of the
composites.
• In this method, the composite part is laid up and enclosed in a vacuum bag.
Full or partial vacuum is drawn under the bag, and gas pressure greater
than atmospheric pressure is applied on the exterior of the bag.
• Curing of the polymer is initiated by raising the part temperature in the
autoclave chamber.
• Augmented pressure exerts higher mechanical forces on the lay-up,
increases the efficiency of transport of volatiles to the vacuum ports, and
results in increased wetting and flow of the resin.
• Reduction in volume of trapped air and released volatiles results in lower
void content.
Advantages and disadvantages
• Vacuum-bag and autoclave methods are used to produce most bag-
molded parts.
• Their main advantages are the relatively inexpensive tooling and use
of the basic curing equipment (oven and autoclave) for an unlimited
variety of shaped parts.
• The disadvantage of the pressure-bag system is the relatively
expensive tooling because it is combined with the curing pressure
system.
Resin Transfer Molding (RTM)
• Resin transfer molding is a closed-mold, low viscosity, low-pressure
process. A preform (precut pieces of reinforcement) is placed inside a
mold, and liquid resin such as epoxy or polyester is injected into the
closed mold by means of a pump in order to impregnate the fibre.
• The injected resin fills all the voids in the mold, impregnating and
wetting the entire surface of the reinforcing material
• When the mold is full, the resin supply is removed, the mold inlets and
outlets are sealed, and heat is applied to cure the product.
• Additives to enhance the surface finish, flame retardancy, weather
resistance, curing speed, etc. may be added to the resin.
Advantages
• Large, complex shapes and curvatures can be obtained.
• A higher level of automation is possible than in many other processes.
• Layup is simpler and the process is speedier than manual operations.
• The automotive industry has found RTM to be a cost-effective, high
volume process for large-scale processing. Use of RTM to make
automotive parts can result in significant weight reduction.
• The process involves a closed mold; therefore, styrene emissions can
be reduced to a minimum. In general, RTM produces much fewer
emissions compared to hand layup or spray up techniques.
Disadvantages
• High production volumes required to offset high tooling costs
compared to the open molding techniques.
• Reinforcement materials are limited due to the flow and resin
saturation of the fibers.
• Size of the part is limited by the mold.
VARTM
• In Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding, a vacuum is applied to
enhance resin flow and reduce void formation.
Filament winding
Filament winding is another very versatile technique in which a continuous tow or roving is
passed through a resin impregnation bath and wound over a rotating or stationary mandrel.
The winding angles and the placement of the reinforcements are controlled through specially
designed machines traversing at speeds synchronized with the mandrel rotation.
Glass, carbon, and aramid fibers are routinely used with epoxy, polyester, and vinyl ester resins
for producing filament wound shapes.

Very large cylindrical (e.g., pipes) and spherical (e.g., for chemical storage) vessels are built by
filament winding.
Filament winding
• There are two types of filament winding processes: wet winding and
prepreg winding.
• In wet winding, a low viscosity resin is applied to the filaments during
the winding process. Polyesters and epoxies with viscosity less than 2
Pas (2000 cP) are used in wet winding.
• In prepreg winding, a hot-melt or solvent-dip process is used to pre-
impregnate the fibers.
• Rigid amines, novolacs, polyimides, and higher viscosity epoxies are
generally used for this process.
Advantages
• The process may be automated and provides high production rates.
• Highest-strength products are obtained because of fiber placement
control.
• There is versatility of sizes.
• Control of strength in different directions possible.
Disadvantages
• Winding reverse curvatures is difficult.
• Winding at low angles (parallel to rotational axis) is difficult.
• Complex (double-curvature) shapes are difficult to obtain.
• There is poor external surface.
 Pultrusion
• In this process, continuous sections of polymer matrix
composites with fibers oriented mainly axially are
produced.
• Pultrusion is an automated process for manufacturing
composite materials into continuous, constant-cross-
section profiles.
• Many profiles such as rods, tubes, and various structural
shapes can be produced using appropriate dies.
• The basic pultrusion
machine consists of
the following
elements:
(1) creels,
(2) resin bath or
impregnator
(3) heated dies,
(4) puller or driving
mechanism, and
(5) cutoff saw.
Pultrusion
Pultrusion - Steps
1.Reinforcing fibers are pulled from the creels. Fiber (roving) creels
may be followed by rolled mat or fabric creels. Pulling action is
controlled by the pulling system.
2.Guide plates collect the fibers into a bundle and direct it to the resin
bath.
3.Fibers enter the resin bath where they are wetted and impregnated
with liquid resin. Liquid resin contains thermosetting polymer,
pigment, fillers, catalyst and other additives.
Pultrusion - Steps
4. The wet fibers exit the bath and enter preformer where the
excessive resin is squeezed out from fibers and the material is
shaped.
5. The preformed fibers pass through the heated die where the final
cross-section dimensions are determined and the resin curing
occurs.
6. The cured product is cut on the desired length by the cut-off saw.
Advantages and applications
• Main advantages of the process are low labor cost and product
consistency.
• Shapes such as rods, channels, and angle and flat stock are easily
produced.
• High productivity.
• The process parameters are easily controllable.
• Low manual labor component.
• Precise cross-section dimensions of the products.
• Good surface quality of the products.
• Homogeneous distribution and high concentration of the reinforcing fibers
in the material is achieved (up to 80% of roving reinforcement, up to 50%
of mixed mat + roving reinforcement).
Other methods
• Thermoplastics soften and later melts on heating, and therefore melt
flow techniques of forming can be used.
• Techniques include injection molding, extrusion, and thermoforming
Thermoforming
• Thermoforming involves the production of a sheet, which is heated
and stamped, followed by vacuum or pressure forming
• Generally, discontinuous fibrous (principally glass) reinforcement is
used, which results in an increase of melt viscosity
• In the thermoforming process, heat and pressure are used to transform flat sheet
thermoplastics (unreinforced or reinforced) into a desired three-dimensional
shape
• The sheet is preheated using one of three methods: Conduction via contact
heating panels or rods; convection heating, using ovens which circulate hot air;
and radiant heating achieved with infrared heaters.
• The preheated sheet is then transferred to a temperature-controlled, pre-heated
mold and conformed to its surface until cooled
• The final part is trimmed from the sheet, and — a distinct advantage of
unreinforced and some chopped glass-reinforced thermoplastics — the trim can
be reground, mixed with virgin material and reprocessed
Injection moulding
• Short fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin composites can also be
produced by a method called reinforced reaction injection molding
• RRIM is actually an extension of the reaction injection molding (RIM)
of polymers
• In RIM, two liquid components are pumped at high speeds and
pressures into a mixing head and then into a mold where the two
components react to polymerize rapidly
• In RRIM, short fibers (or fillers) are added to one or both of the
components
• The equipment for RRIM must be able to handle rather abrasive
slurries
• The fiber lengths that can be handled are generally short, owing to
viscosity limitations
• In RRIM additives are fillers rather than reinforcements
LFT pellets
Hot melt impregnation prior to moulding/extrusion
• In this process, continuous fiber tows pass through a bath of molten matrix and
the impregnated tows pass through a die for shaping into a rod or ribbon,
followed by passage through a chiller to cool
• The last stage involves a puller/chopper; the puller pulls the tow at the desired
speed while the chopper cuts the continuous, impregnated tow to desired length
of pellets suitable for use in an extruder and compression molding
Compression moulding
• LFT (long fiber reinforced thermoplastic) is the raw material or charge
used in compression moulding or extrusion.
Extrusion
Additive manufacturing