Inverse Analysis for Determining Curing Phenomenon in Composite Thermosetting Polymers
摘要
Curing is a reaction leading to a hardened material in mixtures of two or more components known as themosetting polymers. The specific choice of components allows to regulate the speed of reaction. In some applications, fast kinetics are chosen to achieve a fully hardened product within seconds. Yet in other applications, where the mixture is cast in larger volumes, a slower curing rate is needed to allow the cast or mold process to be completed before significant hardening has been occurred. Specifically in the latter case, such a reaction is of importance to model accurately; yet an interplay of several mechanisms makes it challenging to predict the correct model to be used in curing. Such a polymer comprising multiple components has been analyzed by listing different models available. Based on them, a phenomenological model is proposed that resembles a slowly reacting thermosetting polymer. An inverse analysis approach is developed for acquiring a fit representing the data with a good agreement.