Numerical simulation and experimental study on consolidation of toughened epoxy resin composite laminates

Toughened epoxy resin is one of the most important matrices in composite structural materials. In this article a one-dimensional resin flow/fiber compaction model was used for analysis of the consolidation of a toughened epoxy resin 5228/T700S carbon fiber laminates. The laminate thickness and the fiber volume fraction distribution of cured laminates under different cure cycles were investigated both from the experimental measurements and from the numerical simulation. The calculated and experimental results are in good agreement for all the studied cases. A significantly uneven degree of consolidation along the laminate thickness direction is observed, and it is difficult to improve by altering cure cycle. These results are valuable for the study of the performance of composite parts, provided that uneven distribution of fibers does affect some properties of composite materials.