Mechanical Properties for Processing Parameters of Thermoplastic Composite Using Automated Fiber Placement

In this study, the effects of the additional processing parameters on the mechanical properties of thermoplastic composites fabricated with automated fiber placement (AFP) were evaluated. Annealing and vacuum bag only processes were then performed on the manufactured thermoplastic composites, respectively. For verification, the crystallinity was measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), confirming the variation of semi-crystalline thermoplastic composite according to the process conditions. The void content of thermoplastic composites was evaluated by matrix digestion method while microscopic examination confirmed the porosity distribution. The interlaminar shear strength test was conducted for three different process parameters (VBO, annealing, and no treatment). A comparison of the three tested strengths was made, revealing that the porosity value had larger effect on the mechanical properties of the thermoplastic composite compared to the degree of crystallinity. Additionally, when thermoplastic composite melted up, the pores were continuously removed under vacuum process; the removal of the pores resulted in an increase of the interlaminar shear strength.