Influence of Non-Reactive Epoxy Binder on the Permeability and Friction Coefficient of Twill-Woven Carbon Fabric in the Liquid Composite Molding Process

In the liquid composite molding process, a binder is used to fix the preform. In this study, the influence of a non-reactive epoxy binder was investigated. To allow the measurement of permeability, the preform specimen was produced under three preforming conditions: neat fabric preform, binder-treated fabric preform without heat treatment, and binder-treated fabric preform with heat treatment. The in-plane directional permeability, K1 (having maximum flow velocity), and K2 (having minimum flow velocity) of the binder-treated fabric preform decreased approximately 80% compared to the neat fabric preform. The permeability in the out-of-plane direction decreased approximately 80% in the binder-treated fabric preform without heat treatment and about 98% in the binder-treated fabric preform with heat treatment. This decrease occurred because the treated binder on the fiber hindered resin impregnation. The effect of the binder on the friction coefficient of carbon fabric was also investigated. The friction coefficient was high when the binder was on the friction surface and increased 40–200% at 110 °C, compared to 25 °C.