Characteristics of Ultraviolet Cured Glass–Epoxy Textile Composites: Part 1: Experimental Procedures and Testing

Ultraviolet curing of composite samples with different number of layers was carried out and the limitations and advantages of the system were examined. The optimization of the photoinitiator concentration in the radiation curable formulation was studied. The composite samples were cured in different environments to understand the phenomenon of oxygen quenching and establish ways to overcome this. Postcuring of ultraviolet cured composite samples was done to study the degree of polymerization achieved. A formulation was developed to enhance the mechanical properties of the ultraviolet cured composite samples. Composite samples were made using the conventional heat curing process and comparative studies were performed with the ultraviolet cured composite samples. Three point bending and impact tests were performed to obtain relevant properties. A curing system using ultraviolet radiation is proposed for use on a braiding machine, which can quicken the composite manufacturing and eliminate additional secondary processing.