Session: 03-07-01: Emerging Materials Technology

Paper Number: 162559

162559 - Effect of Heat Flux on Thermoplastic Composite Crystallinity 

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of thermoplastic composites with automated fiber placement (AFP) due to their excellent mechanical properties and recyclability. However, unlike thermoset composites, thermoplastics require higher processing temperatures for consolidation and crystallization. One method to achieve these temperatures is by using a Xenon-arc flash lamp. This study presents an experimental and numerical investigation of the crystallization behavior of thermoplastic composites under transient heat flux generated by a moving arc flash lamp. Initially, experiments were conducted using a 6DOF robotic arm and flux sensors to characterize the heat flux field produced by the lamp. Subsequently, the robotic system was used to pass the arc flash lamp over a composite panel at varying speeds and intensities. During these experiments, full-field temperature measurements were recorded using an infrared (IR) camera. Post-test differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements were conducted to quantify the degree of crystallinity at different locations on the panel. The influence of flux intensity and velocity on the degree of crystallinity was analyzed. Additionally, simulation models were developed to replicate the experimental setup and evaluate the sensitivity of material parameters on the results. Both experimental and simulation findings revealed critical relationships between thermal evolution and crystallinity in thermoplastic composites.

Presenting Author: Paul Davidson University of Texas at Arlington

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Paul Davidson is an assistant professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. With support from industry, and DoD, his laboratory and research spans the areas of material, design and computational methods for manufacturing, durability, and damage tolerance of composites.