Distributed internal strain measurement of the fluid-solid state coefficients of thermal expansion below the glass transition temperature during a composite manufacturing process

The total distributed strain produced during a vacuum-assisted resin infusion moulding composite manufacture process is measured in real time by using optical fibre sensors embedded in three different layers of a thin 5-harness satin weave flat plate cured with low-viscosity epoxy resin/cycloaliphatic polyamine epoxy resin polymer matrix. We present and discuss the chemical reaction of the epoxy resin polymer matrix adhesive to show that under...