Cure Kinetics of Carbon Fiber / Bismaleimide Prepreg

A new isothermally based cure kinetic model for the prepreg was presented using an industrially supplied prepreg rather than neat resin. The matrix resin was bismaleimide（BMI）resin，and the reinforcement was carbon fiber T700-12S. A series of isothermal Differential Scanning Calorimetry（DSC）tests were performed and analyzed by the proposed nth-order reaction model. An increase in the cure rate was observed at the higher temperature in both neat and prepreg. After reaching the peak value，the cure rate of resin dropped off faster in prepreg，resulting in a lower average value of the ultimate heat of reaction. The presence of carbon fiber was found to significantly impact the curing behavior of the resin，leading to significant changes from the neat resin kinetic parameters. The carbon fibers imposed restrictions on the molecular mobility of reactive species，reduced the extent of polymerization within the system and did not change the cure mechanism of resin.