In situ cure monitoring of advanced fiber reinforced composites

Graham R. Powell; Peter A. Crosby; Gerard Franklyn Fernando; Chris M. France; Ronald C. Spooncer; David N. Waters

doi:10.1117/12.207692

20 April 1995 In situ cure monitoring of advanced fiber reinforced composites

Graham R. Powell, Peter A. Crosby, Gerard Franklyn Fernando, Chris M. France, Ronald C. Spooncer, David N. Waters

Proceedings Volume 2444, Smart Structures and Materials 1995: Smart Sensing, Processing, and Instrumentation; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.207692
Event: Smart Structures and Materials '95, 1995, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

This paper describes a comparative study of in-situ cure monitoring and cure modelling by three methods: (a) evanescent wave spectroscopy, (b) refractive index change, (c) near- infrared spectroscopy. Optical fibers were embedded into aerospace epoxy resins during the manufacturing process of the composite. The cure characteristics were then tracked in real- time during the processing of the material via evanescent wave interaction. This technique is based upon monitoring of characteristic infrared absorption bands of the resin system to find the concentration of the epoxy and amine hardener as a function of cure time. Hence this technique is suitable for on-line process monitoring and optimization. Results obtained from the optical fiber sensors were used to model the curing behavior of the resin system. The results were compared with near-infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry experiments carried out under similar conditions. The feasibility of utilizing refractive index changes to monitor the extent of cure has also been demonstrated.

Citation Download Citation

Graham R. Powell, Peter A. Crosby, Gerard Franklyn Fernando, Chris M. France, Ronald C. Spooncer, and David N. Waters "In situ cure monitoring of advanced fiber reinforced composites", Proc. SPIE 2444, Smart Structures and Materials 1995: Smart Sensing, Processing, and Instrumentation, (20 April 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.207692

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