Impregnation Ability and Micromechanical Assessments of Pultruded GL/PP and GL/PA۶ Thermoplastic Prepregs

The degree of impregnation directly impacts the ultimate strength of thermoplastic composite (TPC) prepreg. To understand this relationship, an experimental procedure was developed to investigate key factors such as maximum interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), void content, and fiber volume fractions, which influence the residual strength of TPC prepreg. Additionally, three types of dies (A, B, and B+) were produced and examined for injection methods and direct pultrusion of commingled (COM) and side-by-side (SBS) wires. Factors like the fiber/void fraction ratio (Vf/Vv), ILSS, and ILSS/Vf were used to compare the impregnation capacity of each die and production method. The results revealed that the COM method achieved the maximum degree of impregnation, while the SBS method yielded the minimum. A remarkable correlation between the fiber fraction and void fraction was also observed, highlighting the accuracy of the Vf/Vv ratio in assessing impregnation quality. This research provides valuable insights into the factors affecting the residual strength of TPC prepreg and emphasizes the importance of optimizing impregnation techniques for enhanced composite performance. In this context, the samples with a ۱% void volume fraction within a higher fiber volume fraction of ۶۰% would demonstrate superior impregnation capacity compared to another sample with the same void volume fraction of ۱% but a lower fiber volume fraction of ۳۰%

کلیدواژه ها:

Prepreg ، Thermoplastic resin ، Pultrusion ، porosity