Impregnation and resin flow analysis during compression process for thermoplastic composite production

Impregnation and in-plane resin flow of film-stacking material under compression process were investigated. The understanding of this phenomenon is the key to optimize the impregnation process under pressure rollers in a double-belt press for organo-sheet production. The stack of carbon fiber woven fabrics and viscous fluid were compressed in a flat open-edge mold under various controlled conditions using a testing machine. The impregnation, in-plane flow, and pressure profile were characterized from the experimental observations. Furthermore, a theoretical model was developed to describe the impregnation and in-plane flow behavior. The model prediction showed decent agreement with the experimental data. The developed model will be useful to optimize the process parameters of double belt press process.