Process-induced strains in RTM processing of polyurethane/carbon composites

The development of residual strains and stresses is critical to manufacture composite structures with the required dimensional stability and mechanical performance. This work uses Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors to monitor strain build-up in carbon fiber composites with a polyurethane (PU) matrix designed for high production volume applications. The PU matrix presents an initially low viscosity combined with a fast cure reaction, which makes...