The influence of temperature on the mechanical properties of a glass fiber reinforced polymer made by an infusion method

Composite materials are increasingly used in the aerospace industry, among which laminates seem to be the most commonly used ones. They often replace conventional materials, such as metals due to their superior properties and performance. Composite materials help reduce fuel consumption and improve aircraft performance. It is important for the composites used in aircraft structures to have very high creep resistance and strength, due to high loads that they carry. Composites with the highest mechanical properties can be obtained using an infusion method. In the infusion process, the mould is prepared together with the reinforcement made of the material from which the composite is made, e.g. glass fibre. It is tightly closed in a vacuum bag, and the equipment supplying the previously mixed resin with hardener is connected to the injection points. This study describes the main issues related to composites. It characterizes in detail the infusion method and the laminate manufacturing process. Layered composites using an infusion method can be made at various temperatures. This work describes the effect of the applied different temperatures on the obtained mechanical properties from a composite reinforced with fibre glass. During the research, tensile strength, impact strength and bending tests were carried out. It turns out that the best strength properties of the material are obtained when it is manufactured at high temperature, while manufacturing at low temperature causes a significant decrease in strength and other material parameters. The authors also wanted to show the advantages of the infusion process with controlled (higher) temperature in the context of increasing strength factors of the composite.

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Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MNiSW, umowa nr POPUL/SP/0154/2024/02 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki II" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki (2025).