PROCESSING PARAMETERS FOR CONSOLIDATING PEEK CARBON-FIBER (APC-2) COMPOSITES

This consolidation of unidirectional APC-2 was studied experimentally to determine the effects of processing parameters (pressure, temperature, and number of layers) on resin flow as measured by the Kozeny constant and the bulk modulus. The Kozeny constant obtained was between 0.0205 and 0.107. It was found to depend on the consolidation pressure, temperature, number of layers, and their interactions at a 99% confidence level. The value of the bulk modulus was found to be between 1.21 MPa (175 psi) and 8.58 MPa (1244 psi). It also was found to depend on the temperature, pressure, number of plies, and their interactions at a 99% confidence level. These results show the critical effects of fiber orientation on resin flow during processing.