A temperature distribution prediction model of carbon fiber reinforced composites during microwave cure

Compared with the conventional thermal curing, the microwave can cure the composites much faster and generate more even temperature distribution. A model was established in this study to investigate the heat transfer and temperature distribution in the composites during the microwave cure. The numerical model considered the electromagnetic heating, the attenuation of microwave propagating in the material, the exothermal reaction of curing, the heat transfer in anisotropic composite laminates, the electromagnetic and thermal influence of the mold and the bagging materials at the boundaries. And the material properties of macroscopic model were calculated from microscopic model by multiscale homogenization method without costly measurements. The model was used to analyze a case study, and the simulation results showed good agreement with the experimental outcomes.