SIMULATION OF A FILAMENT WINDING PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF AN EPOXY-AMINE-GLASS COMPOSITE PART

A mathematical model has been developed to simulate a filament winding process for the manufacture of an epoxy-amine-glass composite part. The simulation predicts the temperature and epoxide conversion profiles within the part. A finite element method simultaneously solved equations of energy and mass transfer which were coupled through a kinetic rate expression for the curing reaction. The kinetic rate expression was developed from a new mechanistic model which featured independent reactivities of the reactants and intermediates, an etherification reaction and an empirical diffusion term. The epoxy-amine cure was investigated by adiabatic calorimetry. The adiabatic data was used to optimize the kinetic parameters. Curing of the composite part was characterized by reaction wave polymerization, where reaction waves propagated from the walls toward the center of the part. The reaction waves resulted in large temperature and conversion gradients within the part during the cure. The maximum epoxide conversion achieved was less than 90%, which indicated that a post-cure would be required for further conversion.