Dramatically Improved Cycle Time in Compression Molded Polyamide‐6/Recycled Carbon Fiber Composites via Inductive Heating

ABSTRACT Induction heating is gaining popularity in recent times owing to its ability to improve cycle time due to rapid heating and cooling (> 40°C C/min in ≈240 s) in comparison to conventional compression molding. This study compares the performance of polyamide‐6 (PA6)/recycled carbon fiber (rCF) composites manufactured via conventional heated (electrical rod heaters, heated oil circulations, etc.) and induction‐heated compression molding. Composite properties—density, crystallinity, mechanical performance (% change), and failure modes—are evaluated in relation to the heating and cooling profiles used during fabrication. It was found that induction heating helps retain the molecular orientation of PA6 fibers, leading to higher crystallinity—15% greater than that achieved with conventional compression molding (26.5% crystalline). This increase in crystallinity contributes to enhanced tensile properties, with tensile strength improving by 12% and tensile modulus by 18%. These findings highlight the critical role of heating method in compression molding in optimizing PA6/carbon fiber composite performance and demonstrate that induction heating offers a viable path to achieving superior mechanical properties, improved crystallinity, and enhanced manufacturing efficiency by preserving fibrous morphology of PA6 along with shorter cycle time (13 min).