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Polymers
Volume 14
Issue 21
10.3390/polym14214785
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Article

A Novel Multi-Region, Multi-Phase, Multi-Component-Mixture Modeling Approach to Predicting the Thermodynamic Behaviour of Thermoplastic Composites during the Consolidation Process

by
Eva Kobler
1,2,*,
Janos Birtha
1,
Christian Marschik
1,
Klaus Straka
2,
Georg Steinbichler
2,
Paul Zwicklhuber
3 and
Sven Schlecht
4
1
Competence Center CHASE GmbH, Altenberger Straße 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
2
Intitute of Polymer Injection Moulding and Process Automation Linz, Johannes Kepler University, Altenberger Straße 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
3
ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH, Steyrer Straße 20, 4300 St. Valentin, Austria
4
Covestro Deutschland AG, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Allee 60, 51373 Leverkusen, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Polymers 2022, 14(21), 4785; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14214785
Submission received: 11 October 2022 / Revised: 3 November 2022 / Accepted: 4 November 2022 / Published: 7 November 2022
(This article belongs to the Section Polymer Processing and Engineering)
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Abstract

In the processing of thermoplastic composites, great importance is attributed to the consolidation step, as it can significantly reduce the porosity of the semi-finished product and thus influence considerably the quality of the final component. This work presents an approach to modeling the thermodynamic behavior of composite materials during hot-press consolidation. For this purpose a multi-region, multi-phase and multi-component-mixture model was developed using the simulation toolbox OpenFOAM®. The sensitivity of the model was tested by varying the thermal parameters and mesh resolution, confirming its robustness. Validity of the model was confirmed by comparing simulation results to experimental data for (i) polycarbonate with 44% carbon fiber by volume and (ii) polypropylene with 45.3% glass fiber by volume. The simulation allows very precise estimation of when a particular temperature, such as the glass transition temperature or melting point, will be reached at the core of a composite. In relation to the total process time, maximum deviation of the simulation from the experimental data amounted to 2.84%. Therefore, the model is well suited for process optimization, it offers a basis for further model implementations and the creation of a digital twin.
Keywords: thermoplastic composites; processing; consolidation; modelling; CFD thermoplastic composites; processing; consolidation; modelling; CFD
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MDPI and ACS Style

Kobler, E.; Birtha, J.; Marschik, C.; Straka, K.; Steinbichler, G.; Zwicklhuber, P.; Schlecht, S. A Novel Multi-Region, Multi-Phase, Multi-Component-Mixture Modeling Approach to Predicting the Thermodynamic Behaviour of Thermoplastic Composites during the Consolidation Process. Polymers 2022, 14, 4785. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14214785

AMA Style

Kobler E, Birtha J, Marschik C, Straka K, Steinbichler G, Zwicklhuber P, Schlecht S. A Novel Multi-Region, Multi-Phase, Multi-Component-Mixture Modeling Approach to Predicting the Thermodynamic Behaviour of Thermoplastic Composites during the Consolidation Process. Polymers. 2022; 14(21):4785. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14214785

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kobler, Eva, Janos Birtha, Christian Marschik, Klaus Straka, Georg Steinbichler, Paul Zwicklhuber, and Sven Schlecht. 2022. "A Novel Multi-Region, Multi-Phase, Multi-Component-Mixture Modeling Approach to Predicting the Thermodynamic Behaviour of Thermoplastic Composites during the Consolidation Process" Polymers 14, no. 21: 4785. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14214785

APA Style

Kobler, E., Birtha, J., Marschik, C., Straka, K., Steinbichler, G., Zwicklhuber, P., & Schlecht, S. (2022). A Novel Multi-Region, Multi-Phase, Multi-Component-Mixture Modeling Approach to Predicting the Thermodynamic Behaviour of Thermoplastic Composites during the Consolidation Process. Polymers, 14(21), 4785. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14214785

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