“Ex situ” concept for toughening the RTMable BMI matrix composites,Part I: Improving the interlaminar fracture toughness |
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| Authors: | Qunfeng Cheng Zhengping Fang Xiao‐Su Yi Xuefeng An Bangming Tang Yahong Xu |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Institute of Polymer Composites, Zhejiang University, Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China;2. National Key Laboratory of Advanced Composites/BIAM, Beijing 100095, People's Republic of China;3. Research Institute of Aerospace Special Materials and Technology, Beijing 100074, People's Republic of China |
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| Abstract: | Aerospace‐grade bismaleimide matrix composites was toughened based on a novel ex situ resin transfer molding (RTM) technique using a special manufactured ES? carbon fabrics. The toughening mechanism and toughening effect by the technique are studied using thermoplastic PAEK as toughener. Mode I fracture toughness (GIC) of the composites toughened by ex situ RTM technique increased up to three times higher than that of the control system, and Mode II fracture toughness (GIIC) increased two times higher as well. The composite without toughening was denoted as control system. The microstructure revealed that a reaction‐induced phase decomposition and inversion happened in the interlaminar region, which resulted in a particles morphology that showed the thermosetting particles were surrounded with the PAEK phase. The plastic deformation and rupture of the continuous PAEK phase are responsible to the fracture toughness improvement. And the influence of PAEK concentration on toughness improvement was also investigated. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008 |
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| Keywords: | Ex situ RTM technique resin transfer molding fracture toughness fractography toughening mechanism |
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