Optimization of Vibration Pretreatment Microwave Curing in Composite Laminate Molding Process

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Composite Manufacturing
• Aerospace Engineering

Background:

• Composite out-of-autoclave molding is crucial for aerospace components.
• Traditional methods face challenges in achieving high quality and efficiency.
• Vibration pretreatment offers a potential solution for improved composite manufacturing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of vibration pretreatment parameters on composite out-of-autoclave molding.
• To optimize pretreatment temperature, time, and vibration acceleration for enhanced interlaminar shear strength and reduced void content.
• To compare the performance of vibration-assisted microwave curing with conventional microwave curing and autoclave processes.

Main Methods:

• Orthogonal test design was employed to analyze the influence of pretreatment parameters.
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical digital microscopy (ODM) were used for microstructural analysis.
• Interlaminar shear strength and void content were measured to evaluate molding performance.

Main Results:

• Vibration acceleration had the most significant impact on molding quality, followed by pretreatment temperature and time.
• Optimal parameters identified: 90 °C pretreatment temperature, 30 min pretreatment time, and 10 g vibration acceleration.
• Achieved interlaminar shear strength of 82.12 MPa and void content of 0.37% under optimal conditions.
• Void content decreased by 71.8% and interlaminar shear strength increased by 31.6% compared to standard microwave curing.

Conclusions:

• Vibration pretreatment is a highly effective method for improving microwave curing of composites.
• The optimized process yields mechanical properties and microscopic morphology comparable to standard autoclave processing.
• This technique enables high-quality, efficient out-of-autoclave manufacturing of aerospace composite components.