Double vacuum assisted resin infusion molding and property of carbon nanotube-glass fiber/epoxy resin laminates

The carbon nanotube (CNT)-glass fiber/epoxy resin laminates were prepared by traditional vacuum assisted resin infusion molding (VARIM) and double vacuum assisted resin infusion molding (DVARIM), respectively. The defects of the laminates processed with the two methods were examined, and the mechanical properties including flexural property and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) were measured. The distribution and the enhancement mechanism of CNT in the laminates with DVARIM were studied by the measurement of the resin properties and the observation of the fiber/resin interfacial bonding. It shows that, compared with traditional VARIM, the defects in the fiber bundles decrease because the spaces within fibers increase and the resin infiltration improves in DVARIM. The mechanical properties of the laminates are enhanced by adding 0.05% mass fraction of acidulated CNT, especially for the laminates processed by DVARIM. In addition, the infusion process influences the distribution of CNT in the laminates, and further changes the effects of CNT on the interface bonding of fiber/resin, which is dependent on the compactness of the fabric.