Research on the Feasibility and Interfacial Investigation of Self‐Resistance Heating Technology in Carbon‐Fiber/PMMA Composites

ABSTRACT Conventional manufacturing processes for thermoplastic composites typically rely on external heating sources, resulting in high energy consumption and extended processing cycles. To overcome these limitations, this study applied self‐resistance electric (SRE) heating technology to fabricate carbon fiber‐reinforced polymethyl methacrylate (CF/PMMA) composites via compression molding. Initially, the electrical conductivity of the prepreg was measured to establish a temperature‐current correlation model based on experimental data, validating the feasibility of the SRE heating process. The physical properties, interfacial characteristics, porosity, and mechanical performance of the resulting composites were systematically characterized. The results demonstrate that SRE heating significantly shortens the consolidation cycle, reducing the total processing time to approximately 22% of that required for conventional hot pressing. Although SRE processing leads to a higher porosity (3.72%) and a corresponding reduction in tensile strength (−9.2%), the flexural strength is enhanced by 11.8%, attributed to improved interfacial load transfer in surface plies. These findings indicate that internal Joule heating provides an efficient manufacturing route for PMMA‐based CFRTPs where reduced cycle time and flexural performance are critical.