In thermosetting composite manufacturing, part thickness, mold temperature, pressure, and resin kinetics can affect the uniformity of cure in the finished part. If the interaction of these parameters is not accounted for, then unwanted overshoot of the processing temperature can occur within a part during cure. In this paper, the relationship between processing and material parameters was considered to establish a critical thickness separating parts having large overshoots from parts having small overshoots. The one-dimensional heat equation with an autocatalytic relation for curing was used to model the process. The equations were placed in dimensionless form using a scaling analysis. A finite difference model was also created to calculate part temperatures during cure as a function of the key dimensionless groups. For experimental validation, composite plates of varying thickness were fabricated from a glass fiber prepreg material, and the processing conditions were varied according to thickness. The scaling analysis identified five dimensionless groups. Two of these groups were found to affect the overshoot of the temperature: the modified Damköhler number , which includes the heat generated during the reaction, and the dimensionless temperature ramp rate , which describes the tooling temperature ramp rate relative to the natural time scale of the heat transfer. There was good agreement between the numerical model prediction of temperature overshoot and the experimental data. The results also confirm that the behavior of thin and thick parts, as defined by the relative temperature overshoot, can be well defined and predicted by the two proposed dimensionless groups: and .
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
February 2011
Research Papers
Scaling Analysis and a Critical Thickness Criterion for Thermosetting Composites
Thomas W. Secord,
Thomas W. Secord
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, Cambridge, MA 02139
Search for other works by this author on:
Susan C. Mantell,
Susan C. Mantell
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Minnesota
, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Search for other works by this author on:
Kim A. Stelson
Kim A. Stelson
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Minnesota
, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Search for other works by this author on:
Thomas W. Secord
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, Cambridge, MA 02139
Susan C. Mantell
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Minnesota
, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Kim A. Stelson
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Minnesota
, Minneapolis, MN 55455J. Manuf. Sci. Eng. Feb 2011, 133(1): 011005 (6 pages)
Published Online: January 24, 2011
Article history
Received:
June 22, 2010
Revised:
November 26, 2010
Online:
January 24, 2011
Published:
January 24, 2011
Citation
Secord, T. W., Mantell, S. C., and Stelson, K. A. (January 24, 2011). "Scaling Analysis and a Critical Thickness Criterion for Thermosetting Composites." ASME. J. Manuf. Sci. Eng. February 2011; 133(1): 011005. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4003338
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Cited By
On-Orbit Processing and Hardware Performance of Microgravity Hydrothermal Synthesis for Graphene Aerogel
J. Manuf. Sci. Eng (December 2024)
A Review on Metallic Drilling Burrs: Geometry, Formation, and Effect on the Mechanical Strength of Metallic Assemblies
J. Manuf. Sci. Eng (April 2025)
Related Articles
Curing and Consolidation of Advanced Thermoset Composite Laminate Parts by Pressing Between a Heated Mold and Customized Rubber-Faced Mold
J. Manuf. Sci. Eng (February,2011)
A High-Consolidation Electron Beam-Curing Process for Manufacturing Three-Dimensional Advanced Thermoset Composites
J. Manuf. Sci. Eng (December,2022)
Optimal Temperature and Current Cycles for Curing of Composites Using Embedded Resistive Heating Elements
J. Heat Transfer (February,2003)
Curing of Composites Using Internal Resistive Heating
J. Manuf. Sci. Eng (February,2000)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Radiation and Laminar Forced Convection Heat Transfer During a Vehicle’s Paint Curing Process
Electromagnetic Waves and Heat Transfer: Sensitivites to Governing Variables in Everyday Life
Quantitative Freezing and Thawing Parameters for Composite Roof Decks
Durability of Building Materials and Components
Effects of Frequency on the Mechanical Response of Two Composite Materials to Fatigue Loads
Fatigue of Composite Materials