Modeling and Simulation of the Curing Process of Epoxy Resins and Fiber Composites

This study discusses simulations of the curing process in epoxy and fiberreinforced polymer composites incorporating changes in the thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy during curing at various temperatures. A coupled constitutive model that includes an exothermic process from the cross-linking, heat conduction across the specimen and deformations of the specimen from the thermal expansion and shrinkage effects is formulated. The model is used to capture the curing process in the epoxy resin. The coupled constitutive model is then integrated into a micromechanics model of fiber-reinforced composites and used to study the influence of epoxy curing on the formation of residual stresses in the composites. Furthermore, the micromechanics model is also used to predict the macroscopic properties, i.e., elastic moduli, of the cured composites. The model can then be used to understand the influence of processing parameters, i.e., temperatures and pressure, on the formation of residual stresses and their consequences on the overall properties of cured composites.