Manufacturability study of nano-enhanced fiber reinforced polymeric composites (FRPC)

One of the most attractive environmentally friendly energy generation methods is wind power. In order for this technology to compete favorably with the cost of traditional energy generation methods, the wingspan needs to be greatly increased from current dimensions. For this to occur, we need to take advantage of new material developments such as in the case of nano-reinforced composites. The use of nanoparticles have shown improvement in mechanical properties of fiber reinforced polymeric composites (FRPC). Fully understanding the manufacturability of these processes is critical. Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) is the primary molding technique considered due to its significant advantages over other molding techniques and large size capacity. The permeability plays a key role in the processability of the part in question. Understanding the factors affecting the flow through porous media and the inherent material properties, such as permeability and viscosity, of these nano-enhanced FPRC was the main focus of this study.