School of Materials - Research Projects 2007-08
Project Title: Epoxy-resin Development for Rapid Processing of Polymer Composites
Duration of funding project: 3 year PH.D
Start date: 1st April 2008
Application deadline: 18th February 2008
For further information please contact the Project Supervisor:
Supervisor: arthur.wilkinson@manchester.ac.uk
To apply: Contact Postgraduate Team, School of Materials for details
Email: pg-materials@manchester.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 161 306 4824
Long Term Development Projects
L.1 Accelerated curing by microwave heating.
While out-of-autoclave processing is a preferred option, for most companies the reality
is that they have significant autoclave facilities that cannot simply be abandoned for a
new processing technique. Microwave heating would lead to reduced cycle time for
autoclave cure.
L.2 Robotic placement.
While robotic tow placement is used elsewhere, the UK is not yet leading. Existing
machines lay up tows but do not provide any through thickness reinforcement. A
facility that places the tows and stitches through the structure prior to cure providing
through thickness strength will be developed. This will provide composites structures
with superior properties to those available through existing tow placement.
L.3 Technical Textile structures
These can be tailored to the loading requirements of the application resulting in a
preform with structure engineered precisely for the application with controllable
density and drapeability. In addition the use of auxetic fibres and auxetic angle
ply laminate composites developed at Bolton provide enhanced static and low
velocity impact resistance and may enhance ballistic performance. Composites will
be moulded with these reinforcements using the microwave resin transfer moulding
and Quickstep facilities.
L.4 Rapid manufacture and structural evaluation of pultruded composite components.
Significant increases in the production rate have been achieved using microwave heating (Mat).
This work will be extended to look at joining of pultruded profiles to make large structures for
infrastructure and other applications. The microwave pultrusion process will be developed to
produce threaded pultruded sections. Methods of joining sections would be developed and
modelled. Sections will then be joined by bolting and by adhesive bonding. Their performance
will be evaluated and compared to the models.
L.5 Hybrids – Manufacture and evaluation of novel GLARE materials.
These are expected to be lighter than existing GLARE systems and also to have improved
fatigue resistance. The work will include development of rapid, cost-effective manufacturing
techniques for hybrids, the development of lightweight magnesium hybrids and incorporation
of smart sensing fibres.
L.6 Long Fibre MMCs
Rolls-Royce has a world-wide commercial advantage making Ti/SiC parts. QinetiQ
supply SiC fibres, but without our pioneering experiments cannot identify the best interface
treatments to obtain the best matrix crack bridging properties nor the extent of interface
degradation under fatigue.
