Research on mechanical properties of epoxy/glass fiber composites cured by microwave radiation

Abstract

Microwave curing of epoxy/glass fiber composites was investigated in this paper. By studying the reaction characteristics of the resin matrix, detailed curing processes were established. With the use of a self-designed pressure-exerting device, the resin weight fraction of the composites was controllable. The glass transition temperature was measured by differential scanning calorimetry, and the mechanical properties were determined by three-point-bend and uniaxial tensile tests at room temperature. The tensile failure surfaces of both microwave and thermally cured composites were observed with scanning electron microscope. A comparison of the microwave and thermal processes was conducted to evaluate the advantage of microwave curing process. The microwave process (a) and thermal process (b) were regarded as the optimized process for each curing method. It was concluded that the epoxy/glass composites cured by microwave radiation had slightly higher T_g, comparable flexural strength and better tensile properties. Furthermore, the microwave process had a great advantage in saving the cycle time.