THERMAL ANALYSIS IN PRE-MIXED POWDER IMPREGNATION PROCESS
Li Li, Bin Sun, Gance Dai
Laborotary of Polymer Processing, East China University of Science and Technology
P.R.China

Keywords: thermoplastic composites, powder impregnation, heat transfer

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In pre-mixed powder impregnation process, dispersed glass fiber and matrix powder are pre-mixed to a mat, which is then laminated in the double belt press to produce thermoplastic composites. Several matrix related physical phenomena are involved in the processing, including melting, flow and crystal growth, which are all dependent on thermal history. The temperature distributions in the material throughout the process are measured using a special kind of thermocouples. The effects of operation parameters, such as temperature boundary conditions, line speed of belt and thickness of the laminate are considered. It shows that the high porosity of the pre-mixed mat is the main barrier of heat transfer. Proper pressure should be applied to the mat in the preheating zone to promote the rate of heat transfer. The analysis are useful to optimize the processing conditions. A heat transfer model is also developed to simulate thermal behavior of the material in the process.