Efficient Exothermic Press toward Ultrafast and Scalable Manufacturing of Complex Polymer Composites
Amirreza Tarafdar, Hai-Ning Zhang, Xinlu Wang, Andrea J. Hoe, Kaiyue Deng, Kun Fu, Qiquan Qiao, Ian D. Hosein, Yeqing Wang
Abstract
Rapid and scalable production of high-performance composites remains a key challenge in achieving sustainable manufacturing. Here, Exo-press frontal polymerization (EPFP), a novel and transformative method for manufacturing fiber-reinforced thermoset polymer composites, overcoming energy efficiency, scalability, and curing complex geometries, is introduced. Unlike conventional curing methods that require prolonged processing times and high energy, EPFP utilizes exothermic heat to reduce curing time from hours to minutes with minimal external energy. Combining exothermic heat with press molding, the novel EPFP enables the efficient fabrication of complex geometries, such as airfoil skin sections, with high fiber volume fractions (above 60%). In addition, EPFP is compatible with commercial off-the-shelf epoxy by integrating frontal resin, showcasing its versatility and adaptability for diverse industrial applications. Composites manufactured using EPFP exhibit superior thermomechanical properties while significantly reducing energy consumption by 80% and production costs by 40%. This makes it a sustainable and efficient solution for polymer composites manufacturing.