Rapid electrothermal-triggered flooded thermoset curing for scalable carbon/polymer composite manufacturing

Abstract Carbon-based (e.g. carbon fibers or carbon nanotube (CNT)) polymer composite materials, due to the high specific strength, and good chemical stability features, is a promising structural material for energy-efficient applications in aerospace and civil infrastructures. However, the difficulty of viscosity-related infusing and curing of polymer limits composite mechanical performance and manufacturing efficiency. Here we overcome these difficulties and report an electrothermal-triggered flooded thermoset curing to enable rapid and energy-efficient manufacturing of carbon/polymer composite. The underlying concept is based on the two-step localized in-situ infusion and curing in flooded polymer by Joule heating of carbon-based materials to facilitate the flow of polymer into the microstructure in low current, followed by curing of polymer resin in high current. The viscosity adjustment and defoaming process in the infusing process and the curing properties (degree of cure and strength) of the composites were used to prove the effectiveness of this curing strategy in composite fabrication. This electrothermal-triggered curing approach provides a rapid, energy-efficient, scalable, and volumetric composite manufacturing technique.