A Peel Test Method to Characterize the Decay Law of Prepreg Tape Tack at Different Temperatures

The tack of prepreg is a key factor affecting the automatic tape laying process. During the manufacturing process of large composite parts, prepreg material may be stored at room temperature for several days, resulting in a decrease in its tack. In this study, a new tack test tool was designed, and the decay rate of prepreg tack at different temperatures was tested. We proposed a prepreg tack decay model, which assumes that the main factor in tack decay is the reduction in resin chain activity during storage. The maximum deviation between the model calculation results and the experimental results of the tack decay rate is 9.7%. This study also proposed a new statistical unit for prepreg tack, which can establish the relationship between the tack of prepreg and its remaining storage time and reduce prepreg management costs.