MSE 597B / A&AE 590M Manufacturing of Advanced Composites

Sem. 1. Class 3, cr. 3. (offered in alternate years). Prerequisite: senior or graduate standing in engineering or science.

MSE 597B is an elective course.

Weekly Schedule: Three 50-minute lectures.

The relationships between fiber characteristics, polymer characteristics and process phenomena for their combination to produce the microstructure and net shape of advanced composite structure. A review of methods for the manufacture of composite structure. A review of anisotropic elasticity and composite laminate theory. Test methods for characterization of composite materials. Permeability and compaction behavior of fiber performs. Cure kinetics, flow properties, shrinkage and elastic property development of polymer matrices. Heat transfer and curing kinetics of composite laminates. Infusion, vacuum assisted injection molding, resin degassing, thickness variations. Autoclave bleed prepreg simulations. Residual stresses and deformations of laminates. Crystallization in semi-crystalline thermoplastic polymers. Melting, shear flow and consolidation of thermoplastic performs. Sheet forming of thermoplastic performs. Thermoplastic pultrusion.

Relation of Course to Program Outcomes
1. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering to problems in materials engineering.
5. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems, particularly in the context of materials selection and design.
7. an ability to exhibit effective oral and written communication skills.

Goals

  1. To become familiar with methods of manufacturing advanced composite structures.
  2. To be able to describe with analytic models the important phenomena in advanced composites processing: permeability, impregnation flows, curing kinetics of thermosetting polymers, heat transfer, residual stresses and deformations, crystallinity in semi-crystalline polymers, shearing flows in thermoplastics.
  3. Develop a description of collimated fiber reinforced polymers as anisotropic continua and determine methods for their physical characterization.
  4. Develop and understanding of residual stresses and deformations introduced into composite structure during their processing and manufacture.
  5. To develop an understanding of the competing phenomena during composites processing and their interactions.
  6. To be able to choose appropriate process conditions for successful manufacture of composite structure.

Course Objectives
Upon Completion of this course the student is expected to:

  1. recognize the conventional methods for processing of advanced composite materials
  2. distinguish between the available reinforcing fiber performs
  3. recognize the conventional thermoset and thermoplastic polymers
  4. describe the mechanical properties of a collimated fiber, polymer composite as an anisotropic medium
  5. understand test methods required to characterize and anisotropic medium
  6. calculate the thermoelastic response of a composite laminate
  7. correlate polymer cure kinetics with process time-temperature-pressure schedule
  8. carry out a curing simulation for a thermoset polymer composite
  9. calculate fiber volume fraction distribution
  • identify sources and mechanisms for thermal residual stresses in laminates
  • calculate residual stresses due to resin shrinkage
  • calculate spring-in in curvilinear geometries

     10. describe analytically the temperature dependent viscosity of thermoplastic polymers

     11. describe the crystallization kinetics of semi-crystalline polymers

 

Instructor(s)
R. Byron Pipes

Contribution of course to meeting the professional component: MSE 597B is a materials-specific technical elective course.

Prepared by: Elliott Slamovich

Date: April 25th, 2007