Evaluation of Static Behavior in Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites Cured with Hot Air and Infrared Radiation

The applications of polymer composites are growing beyond several kinds of industries, including sports, entertainment, automotive, communication, and aerospace, mainly to their remarkable mechanical qualities. The microstructure, flexural strength, and tensile characteristics of glass fiber-reinforced polymer composites (GFRPCs) made by hand-lay-up technique are examined in this work. The unidirectional glass fiber and a 35% epoxy matrix were used to create the GFRPCs. Two methods of cured were applied: hot air and infrared radiation. For each procedure, laminates were put through a multi-hour ramp and soak curing process. When comparing the flexural properties of hot air-cured GFRPCs to those cured by infrared radiation of 600 gsm, the experiment showed a considerable improvement (48%) in those qualities. On the other hand, when compared to hot air curing at 300 gsm, GFRPCs that were cured using infrared radiation had better tensile characteristics. In comparison to specimens cured by infrared radiation, hot air-cured composites showed improved adhesion across the glass fiber and the epoxy matrix, according to microstructural examination.