Melt Binders for Articles Made of Polymer Composite Materials

Abstract

A low-cost, energy-efficient, environmentally friendly technology for manufacturing products from composite materials is presented. The autoclave-free technology for manufacturing parts and structural elements from polymer composite materials (PCMs) is known as the resin film infusion (RFI) technology using molten binders. The low costs of molding RFI products from PCMs (necessary equipment consists of ovens, vacuum pumps, accessories for molded products, auxiliary equipment and materials) make it possible to manufacture products of various shapes. The RFI method provides the required filler-to-binder weight ratio in the material of the part and allows one to form parts with the necessary rigid characteristics. The RFI technology eliminates the expensive prepreg production procedure and the thermal process of forming products in an autoclave, which reduces the cost of the part by 20–25%. As a result of the molten technology, the cycle of manufacturing glued structures decreases by 2–3 times; the time of manufacturing honeycomb structures, by 40–50% (due to a reduction in technological operations compared to conventional adhesives); the equipment, by 1.5–2 times; the structure weight (especially structures with honeycomb filler), by 30–50%; and the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere, by 10–15 times.