Development of the properties of a carbon fibre reinforced thermosetting composite through cure

In this paper, the development of physical and mechanical properties of a thermosetting composite which are relevant to the modelling of residual stresses and process induced deformations are discussed. Findings of previous work on cure kinetics and cure shrinkage of the composite are summarized. The development of resin modulus throughout the Manufacturer’s Recommended Cure Cycle (MRCC) is modelled by Group Interaction Modelling (GIM). The...