OVERCOMP: Interface Formation and Bond Strength Prediction in Composite Injection Overmoulding

OVERCOMP：复合材料注塑包覆成型中的界面形成和粘合强度预测

• 批准号: EP/X041360/1
• 负责人: M. Ali Aravand
• 金额: $ 34.51万
• 依托单位: Queen's University Belfast
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FX041360%2F1
• 关键词: OVERCOMP; Interface; Formation; Bond; Strength

The rapid growth of the global composite market is primarily driven by the ever-more critical need for lightweighting, especially in the automotive and aerospace sectors constituting over 70% of the UK's demand for composites. The increasing need for high-volume manufacture of composite components cannot be addressed by solely relying on time-consuming traditional composite processing technologies. This is one of the main factors contributing to the UK's reliance on non-domestic production, especially in the automotive industry, where over 50% of the required composite parts are currently imported. High-speed manufacture of near-net-shape hybrid thermoplastic composite components via the highly automated injection over-moulding process (or hybrid injection moulding) is arguably one of the only available solutions to address such a significant demand. Composite injection overmoulding is characterised by its capability to manufacture selectively reinforced, highly complex multi-material components within a few minutes, thereby eliminating several hours-long manufacturing steps that would otherwise be required to produce a part at a similar level of complexity. This will, in turn, largely reduce the waste formation, carbon footprint, and by-to-fly ratio. However, despite these advantages, the adoption of this technology has been hampered by the inconsistent and unpredictable performance of the overmoulded components under loading, predominantly caused by a premature failure at the interface. The lack of a fundamental understanding of the interface formation between the injected polymer and the thermoplastic composite insert is the underlying reason for the current inability to control the bond strength and hence the performance of the overmoulded composite. The complexity of the problem mainly arises from the multitude of factors that affect the interpenetration of the polymer chains and at the interface. Even the slightest changes in processing conditions or the composition of the injected polymer or the thermoplastic insert can significantly affect the bonding quality and hence the service life of the components. The absence of a reliable method to support a high-confidence prediction of the structural performance of overmoulded components has left the manufacturers with no other option but to consider costly trials or resort to other, often highly time-consuming labour-intensive multistep alternative processes. To address this gap in the knowledge base, the OVERCOMP project aims to deliver a reliable multi-scale model to predict the interfacial strength between the two thermoplastic phases involved in an overmoulded component. To this end, the project will focus on the three main aspects that contribute to interface formation during overmoulding. These include (i) heat transfer and rheology, (ii) material compatibility; and (iii) time and temperature-dependent interdiffusion of the polymer chain at the interface (healing). This way, the model will ensure a complete picture of the interface formation during overmoulding and reduce the risk of transitioning to this processing method. This model will enable the manufacturers and part designers to make informed decisions during the material selection step and have a clear picture of the part performance before undertaking to manufacture.

全球综合市场的快速增长主要是由轻巧的批判性越来越大，尤其是在汽车和航空航天部门，占英国对复合材料需求的70％以上。对复合组件的大量生产的需求越来越不可能通过仅依靠耗时的传统复合加工技术来解决。这是促使英国依赖非家庭生产的主要因素之一，尤其是在汽车行业中，目前进口所需的综合零件的50％以上。通过高度自动化的注入过度磨损过程（或混合注射成型），可以说是解决这种巨大需求的唯一可用解决方案之一，可以通过高度自动化的注射过度构成过程（或混合注射成型）高速制造近网状混合塑料复合材料。复合注入过度的特征在于其在几分钟内有选择性增强，高度复杂的多物质组件的能力，从而消除了几个小时的制造步骤，否则这些步骤否则需要以相似的复杂性生产零件。反过来，这将大大减少废物形成，碳足迹和比率。然而，尽管有这些优势，但该技术的采用受到了负载下过度货币组件的不一致和不可预测的性能的阻碍，这主要是由于界面上的过早故障引起的。缺乏对注入聚合物和热塑性复合插入物之间界面形成的基本理解是当前无法控制键强度的基本原因，从而导致过度货物的复合材料的性能。问题的复杂性主要源于影响聚合物链和界面互穿的多种因素。即使是在加工条件或注入聚合物或热塑性插入物的组成的最小变化也会显着影响粘结质量，从而使组件的使用寿命。缺乏可靠的方法来支持过高的成分结构性绩效的高信心预测，这使制造商别无选择，只能考虑昂贵的试验或诉诸其他，通常是耗时的，通常是高度耗时的劳动力密集型多步骤替代过程。 为了解决知识库中的这一差距，“淘汰”项目旨在提供可靠的多尺度模型，以预测涉及过高成分的两个热塑性阶段之间的界面强度。为此，该项目将重点关注有助于在过度支出期间界面形成的三个主要方面。这些包括（i）传热和流变学，（ii）材料兼容性； （iii）聚合物链在界面（愈合）处的时间和温度依赖性相互扩散。这样，该模型将确保在过度货物期间的界面形成的完整图片，并减少过渡到此处理方法的风险。该模型将使制造商和零件设计师能够在材料选择步骤中做出明智的决定，并在制造之前清楚地了解零件性能。