Talk Composites - The Forum for Advanced Composites

Could need some advice on flow front

http://www.talkcomposites.com/Topic14572.aspx

By gnidnu - 1/12/2015 8:07:45 PM

I'm having trouble with this partly double sided infusion. This was the most recent try. Layup:

(Mould Side)
200 g/m² Glass Twill Weave
300 g/m² Carbon Biaxial +-45°
300 g/m² Glass Biaxial +-45°
400 g/m² Glass Unidirectional 0°
10 mm Gurit Corecell M80 Foam, Perforation Grid 2mm / 20 mm
300 g/m² Glass Biaxial +-45°
200 g/m² Carbon Unidirectional 0°
200 g/m² Carbon Unidirectional 0°
300 g/m² Carbon Biaxial +-45°
160 g/m² Carbon Twill Weave
78 g/m² Glass Twill Weave

MTI hose on left side, feed line on the right.
Can't measure absolute pressure, but relative pressure was -0,93 Bar.
Resin was degassed until no more bubbles were visible.
Didn't turn out well. It looks like the flow front on the A side was significantly slower than on top, which resulted in complete dry spots.

http://www.talkcomposites.com/Uploads/Images/71c93ae2-d2e5-4ad0-b79e-2825.jpg


http://www.talkcomposites.com/Uploads/Images/ef930957-4f0d-49e8-8b4a-4956.jpg

http://www.talkcomposites.com/Uploads/Images/00004841-3815-497c-be93-ac92.jpg

Do you have any advice on what to do differently next time? I already tried infusing from back to front instead of left to right, which turned out better.
By petereng - 2/4/2015 7:36:19 AM

Hi- 1000gsm is not very thick. Some years ago I was working on mast laminates of 25-30mm thick of carbon infused. Thats thick. So 1) the big problem with carbon is that the UDs often don't infuse well. But it seems some of yours does so maybe another problem. If you hold the UD up to the light can you see through it? If not probably not the right UD for infusion. Check with your supplier and ensure the UD you have or going to have is being infused by someone 2) Dry spots are lack of vacuum.. was the 0.93 bar in the bag at the furthest part away from the vac side of the job? or at the pump?  Then vacuum decreases through the fill due to outgassing (which if you degassed right won't happen). The advice about slowing down the fill is very good. Clamp the inlet so it flows quite slow, allowing the bottom and top to fill together.  Plus use a slow medium. And lastly did you have enough resin? Did you have resin left in the pot and lines?

Plus if you fill on a slight angle say 10degs uphill this will help scavenge any gasses to the pump via the MTI tube. The dry spot maybe water vapour so leave your job under vacuum for say 1 hr to remove steam form the job. By vacuum soak I mean under vacuum pump. Some people turn the pump off which means gasses or water vapour can't be transported out of the bag. 

cheers Peter