Characterization of cure of carbon/epoxy prepreg used in aerospace field

carbon/epoxy 8552 prepreg is a thermoplastic toughened high-performance epoxy being used in the manufacture of advanced army material. understanding the cure behavior of a thermosetting system is essential in the development and optimization of composite fabrication processes. the cure kinetics and rheological behavior were evaluated using a differential scanning calorimetry (dsc), dynamic mechanical analysis (dma) and a rheometer. values of the kinetic parameters were obtained from dynamic dsc scans using an nth order reaction model. rheological measurements as a function of temperature and time were made for the prepreg system. the manufacturer's recommended cure cycle was evaluated and considered adequate to consolidated the studied system.