Research on mechanical properties of epoxy/glass fiber composites cured by microwave radiation

Microwave curing of epoxy/glass fiber composites was investigated in this paper. By studying the reaction characteristics of the resin matrix, detailed curing processes were established. With the use of a self-designed pressure-exerting device, the resin weight fraction of the composites was controllable. The glass transition temperature was measured by differential scanning calorimetry, and the mechanical properties were determined by three-point-bend and uniaxial tensile tests at room temperature. The tensile failure surfaces of both microwave and thermally cured composites were observed with scanning electron microscope. A comparison of the microwave and thermal processes was conducted to evaluate the advantage of microwave curing process. The microwave process ( a) and thermal process ( b) were regarded as the optimized process for each curing method. It was concluded that the epoxy/glass composites cured by microwave radiation had slightly higher T-g, comparable flexural strength and better tensile properties. Furthermore, the microwave process had a great advantage in saving the cycle time.