Simulation study on curing deformation of hybrid fiber-reinforced composites

Hybrid fiber-reinforced composites (HFRCs) are increasingly applied in structural components; however, controlling cure-induced deformation constitutes a challenge for ensuring the dimensional accuracy of the final products. To address this, the present study investigates a hybrid composite system composed of carbon (T300/J284PD) and quartz (QW100/J284PD) fiber prepregs. A coupled thermo-chemo-mechanical finite element model was established to analyze the influence of key design parameters—specifically ply angle, laminate thickness, and stacking sequence—on deformation behaviors. Experimental validation indicates that the proposed model shows good agreement with the measured data. The analysis suggests that stacking symmetry is a primary factor influencing deformation; transitioning from an asymmetric to a fully symmetric configuration reduced the deformation magnitude by over 95% in the studied cases. Additionally, cure-induced deformation showed a monotonic trend with varying ply angles, while increased laminate thickness contributed to mitigating warpage by enhancing overall flexural stiffness. These findings offer theoretical insights and an effective predictive method for the layup design and process optimization of HFRCs, providing useful guidance for the precision manufacturing of composite structures.