Development and hot‐melt impregnation of a model controlled flow prepreg system

Abstract A controlled‐flow epoxy‐based model prepreg resin system was developed. The formulation of the model controlled‐flow resin was designed from performance information obtained from a commercially available controlled‐flow resin, presently used in the aircraft industry. Thermoanalytical techniques including rheometry were used to provide the necessary information to develop the model system along with a formulation methodology developed by Seferis and co‐workers. The model resin formulation, which was a combination of tetraglycidyl ether of methylenedianiline (TGMDA), diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A (DGEBA), carboxyl‐modified butadiene/acrylonitrile rubber (CMBN), carboxyl‐terminated butadiene/acrylonitrile rubber (CTBN), bisphenol‐A (BPA), diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS), and dicyandiamide (DICY), was hot‐melt impregnated into unidirectional carbon fibers on a laboratory scale hot‐melt prepreg machine. A two‐parameter, three‐level design of experiments was performed on the prepreg processing parameters in which impregnation temperature and pressure were varied. Thus, a total of nine different experimental prepregs were produced and characterized by resin content, extent of impregnation, and tack. The results from the characterization of the nine experimental prepregs are compared with the effects of the prepreg processing conditions. These results are also compared with the results generated for the commercial controlled‐flow resin. Collectively, this work provides a fundamental basis by which the analysis and rational utilization of controlled‐flow matrix prepregs can be effected.