EVALUATION OF IMPACT AND COMPRESSIVE PROPERTIES OF SINGLE MAGNETRON MICROWAVE CURED CARBON/EPOXY COMPOSITES

Microwave curing offers several advantages over traditional manufacturing processes, including shorter cycle times, volumetric heating, and lower energy consumption. These benefits make it an attractive option for curing carbon fiber-reinforced composites, which are widely used in aerospace, automotive, and other industries due to their high strength and stiffness. Carbon fibers possess high electrical conductivity and high dielectric loss factor, facilitating the rapid heating of the polymer composite compared to conventional processes. The study investigates the potential of vacuum-assisted microwave curing for carbon/epoxy composites. The efficacy of this approach is assessed by comparing the properties of single magnetron microwave-cured samples with those manufactured using the autoclave process. To achieve this, impact test, compression test, and microstructural analyses were conducted on the samples. In the present work, IM7/Cycom 5320-1 unidirectional prepreg with 33% resin by weight and a fiber areal weight of 145 g/m² was employed to manufacture two types of sixteen-layer laminated composites: symmetric cross-ply ([0⁰/90⁰]4S) and quasi-isotropic ([45⁰/90⁰/-45⁰/0⁰]2S). The mechanical properties of the microwave-cured composites were juxtaposed with those of autoclave-cured samples. Additionally, optical microscopy was used to analyze the failure mechanisms of the manufactured samples. The results from this study highlight the potential of vacuum-assisted microwave curing to manufacture high-performance composite parts.