Transparent Fiber-Reinforced Composites Based on a Thermoset Resin Using Liquid Composite Molding (LCM) Techniques

Caydamli, Yavuz; Heudorfer, Klaus; Take, Jens; Podjaski, Filip; Middendorf, Peter; Buchmeiser, Michael R.

doi:10.3390/ma14206087

Open AccessArticle

Transparent Fiber-Reinforced Composites Based on a Thermoset Resin Using Liquid Composite Molding (LCM) Techniques

by

Yavuz Caydamli

^1,2,†

,

Klaus Heudorfer

^3,†,

Jens Take

³,

Filip Podjaski

⁴

,

Peter Middendorf

^3,* and

Michael R. Buchmeiser

^1,2,*

¹

Institute of Polymer Chemistry (IPOC), University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 55, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany

²

German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF), Körschtalstr. 26, D-73770 Denkendorf, Germany

³

Institute of Aircraft Design (IFB), University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 31, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany

⁴

Nanochemistry Department, Max-Planck-Institute for Solid State Research, Heisenbergstr. 1, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

The authors contributed equally.

Materials 2021, 14(20), 6087; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14206087

Submission received: 17 September 2021 / Revised: 8 October 2021 / Accepted: 12 October 2021 / Published: 14 October 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites: Microstructural, Thermal and Mechanical Properties)

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Abstract

In this study, optically transparent glass fiber-reinforced polymers (tGFRPs) were produced using a thermoset matrix and an E-glass fabric. In situ polymerization was combined with liquid composite molding (LCM) techniques both in a resin transfer molding (RTM) mold and a lite-RTM (L-RTM) setup between two glass plates. The RTM specimens were used for mechanical characterization while the L-RTM samples were used for transmittance measurements. Optimization in terms of the number of glass fabric layers, the overall degree of transparency of the composite, and the mechanical properties was carried out and allowed for the realization of high mechanical strength and high-transparency tGFRPs. An outstanding degree of infiltration was achieved maintaining up to 75% transmittance even when using 29 layers of E-glass fabric, corresponding to 50 v.% fiber, using an L-RTM setup. RTM specimens with 44 v.% fiber yielded a tensile strength of 435.2 ± 17.6 MPa, and an E-Modulus of 24.3 ± 0.7 GPa.

Keywords: transparency; glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP); liquid composite molding (LCM); epoxy; thermoset; E-glass; mechanical; optical; transmittance

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MDPI and ACS Style

Caydamli, Y.; Heudorfer, K.; Take, J.; Podjaski, F.; Middendorf, P.; Buchmeiser, M.R. Transparent Fiber-Reinforced Composites Based on a Thermoset Resin Using Liquid Composite Molding (LCM) Techniques. Materials 2021, 14, 6087. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14206087

AMA Style

Caydamli Y, Heudorfer K, Take J, Podjaski F, Middendorf P, Buchmeiser MR. Transparent Fiber-Reinforced Composites Based on a Thermoset Resin Using Liquid Composite Molding (LCM) Techniques. Materials. 2021; 14(20):6087. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14206087

Chicago/Turabian Style

Caydamli, Yavuz, Klaus Heudorfer, Jens Take, Filip Podjaski, Peter Middendorf, and Michael R. Buchmeiser. 2021. "Transparent Fiber-Reinforced Composites Based on a Thermoset Resin Using Liquid Composite Molding (LCM) Techniques" Materials 14, no. 20: 6087. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14206087

APA Style

Caydamli, Y., Heudorfer, K., Take, J., Podjaski, F., Middendorf, P., & Buchmeiser, M. R. (2021). Transparent Fiber-Reinforced Composites Based on a Thermoset Resin Using Liquid Composite Molding (LCM) Techniques. Materials, 14(20), 6087. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14206087

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Transparent Fiber-Reinforced Composites Based on a Thermoset Resin Using Liquid Composite Molding (LCM) Techniques

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