Investigation of the manufacturing process for PMMA /carbon fiber prepreg

Abstract While thermoplastic resin composites offer advantages such as recyclability and ease of processing, their interfacial properties often fall short compared to thermoset resin composites, largely due to their high viscosity and melting points. To address this issue, this study leverages the liquid state of methyl methacrylate (MMA) at room temperature to prepare polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)‐based carbon fiber (CF) prepreg (PMMA/CF) by incorporating an initiator. By blending PMMA with MMA, a binary liquid resin system (PMBLR) with tunable viscosity was successfully developed. Under vacuum conditions, this liquid resin effectively infiltrated carbon fiber, producing a high‐performance prepreg. Comprehensive tests were conducted on the PMMA/CF prepreg to evaluate appearance quality, porosity, and fiber volume fraction, followed by optimization of the molding process. The findings reveal that, with suitable preparation conditions, the PMMA/CF prepreg achieves minimal porosity in thermally formed laminates and demonstrates excellent mechanical properties. Highlights A novel method for preparing thermoplastic prepreg. The porosity of the composites was measured using non‐destructive testing. The method of vacuum hot pressing was used to press the prepreg, and the optimum parameters of the prepreg were explored. The composite material prepared by the prepreg has high tensile strength.