MICROWAVE DIELECTRIC ANALYSIS OF CURING RESIN SYSTEMS

THE MANUFACTURE OF POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITES AND PLASTICS INVOLVES COMPLEX CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL CHANGES THAT MUST BE MONITORED AND CONTROLLED TO YIELD DESIRED PRODUCTS. AT MICROWAVE FREQUENCIES, BOTH THE DIELECTRIC (E') AND ABSORPTIVE (E") PROPERTIES ARE EXCELLENT DIAGNOSTIC INDICATORS OF THE CURE STATE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING MICROWAVE OPEN-ENDED COAXIAL RESONATOR DEVICES FOR EVALUATING THE INSITU COMPLEX DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF EPOXY MATRICES DURING THE FABRICATION PROCESS. THE RESONATORS CAN BE MOUNTED AS A CONFORMAL PART OF AN AUTOCLAVE, PRESS CURE OR RESIN TRANSFER MOLDING. APPLICATION TO SEVERAL TYPES OF RESIN/FABRIC SYSTEMS WILL BESTUDIED.