Verification of Mechanical Properties of Aerospace CFRP Composites Under Vibration‐Microwave Curing Process

ABSTRACT Carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) have emerged as pivotal structural materials in aerospace, defense, and rail transportation sectors due to their outstanding specific strength, and tailorable mechanical properties. This study adopts an innovative vibration‐microwave curing process. To verify the feasibility of the process, a comprehensive characterization protocol was implemented for the first time, utilizing universal testing machines, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and drop‐weight impact test systems to evaluate the tensile/compressive properties, fracture morphology, and impact resistance of processed specimens, with systematic comparisons made against autoclave‐cured counterparts. The experimental results demonstrate that the vibration‐microwave cured composites exhibit comparable mechanical properties to autoclave‐processed ones. Specifically, at the 0° orientation, the tensile strength and modulus of the vibration‐microwave cured composites (1708 MPa and 160 GPa, respectively) closely match the autoclave‐cured results (1773 MPa and 162 GPa). A similar trend is observed at the 90° orientation, where the tensile strength (36 vs 39 MPa) and modulus (8.3 GPa for both) are nearly identical between the two curing methods. Comparable results are also observed in the compression tests. Fracture analysis indicates fiber‐dominated failure in the 0° tension orientation and brittle fracture in the 90° tension orientation, while compression shows matrix shear/fiber buckling (in the 0° orientation) and matrix‐dominated failure (in the 90° orientation), both of which match the autoclave failure modes. Impact tests confirm nearly identical energy absorption. The experimental results validate the technical viability of employing vibration‐microwave curing as a sustainable substitute for conventional autoclave processing.