A Dynamic Transient Model to Simulate the Time Dependent Pultrusion Process of Glass/Polyester Composites

The objective of this paper is to introduce a novel dynamic transient model to simulate the time dependent pultrusion process of glass/polyester composites. The model is able to simulate the resin curing process systematically. The resin curing process is divided in two liquid and gel-solid phases. Physical properties of the resin including resin specific heat, viscosity and thermal conductivity change by altering the resin temperature and the degree of cure. It is shown that in liquid and gel-solid phases, some of the resin physical properties have significant role in heat transfer phenomenon and affect simulation results. The physical and mechanical properties of fibers do not change during the curing process of composites; therefore, an equivalent material is introduced instead of the resin-fiber compound. The model simulates the heat generation during the resin curing process. The degree of cure of the resin, used for the resin viscosity calculation, is an important parameter indicating the final stage of simulation of resin curing process. The components of the model are integrated in a finite element method. As case studies, the process of pultrusion of circular, rectangular and I cross-sections are simulated by the model. The results show that the model is able to simulate the pultrusion process very well.