What the facility does
Physico-chemical characterization of polymers and reinforcements used in the manufacturing of composite materials.
Areas of expertise
The laboratory specializes in the microcharacterization of the material polymers and reinforcements used in the manufacturing of composites and nanocomposites by reinforced injection processes. The laboratory’s infrastructure is used to model the kinetics of polymer resins, understand the rheological behaviour of polymer resins and analyse their composition. It is also used to perform dynamic thermomechanical analysis (DMA) to predict the behaviour of composite materials. The laboratory also specializes in the characterization of the permeability, capillary action, porosity and compressibility of fiber reinforcements.
Research services
- Analysis and kinetic rheological modelling of polymer resin behaviour,
- Polymer rheology,
- Thermomechanical behaviour of polymers and composites,
- Capillary action and impregnation of reinforcements and modelling
- Advanced characterization of polymer resins (DMA-thermal flow, TGA volatiles, spectroscopy).
Sectors of application
- Aerospace and satellites
- Automotive
- Defence and security industries
- Manufacturing and processing
- Transportation
Specialized labs and equipment
| Equipment | Function |
|---|---|
| DSC Q200 (TA Instruments) | DSC calorimetry |
| MCR 501 rheometer (Anton-Paar) | Rheology |
| DMA Q800 (TA Instruments) | Thermomechanics |
| DMA+450 (01dB-Metravib) | Thermomechanics |
| Digital microscope VHX1000E (Keyence) | Digital optical microsopy |
| STA-HP (Linseis) | Pressurised TGA-DSC |
| FTIR 6700 Nicolet (Thermofisher) | Infrared spectroscopy |
| Thermostar MS (Pfeiffer Vacuum) | Mass spectroscopy |
| Capillary rise setup | Capillary rise |
| Infrared camera | Infrared thermography |
Private and public sector research partners
- Safran Group
- Bombardier Aerospace
- Alstom
- General Electric
- Composites BHS
- Marquez Transtech
- Reebok-CCM
- General Motors Canada
- Auto 21 Group
- National Research Council’s Industrial Materials Institute
- Centre de Recherche en Plasturgie et Composites CREPEC
- Airbus
- Aston Martin
Additional information
| Title | URL |
|---|---|
| Chemical shrinkage and thermomechanical characterization of an epoxy resin during cure by a novel in situ measurement method | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014305713003546 |
| Chemical shrinkage and thermomechanical characterization of different. Resin systems and prepregs during cure by a novel in situ measurement | http://toc.proceedings.com/19787webtoc.pdf |
| A Comparative Study of Dispersion Techniques for Nanocomposite Made with Nanoclays and an Unsaturated Polyester Resin | http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnm/2011/406087/ |
| A Study of Nanoclay Reinforcement of Biocomposites Made by Liquid Composite Molding | http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijps/2011/964193/ |
| Predicting the cure of thermosetting polymers: The isoconversion map | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pc.20710/abstract |
| Experimental Characterization by Fluorescence of Capillary Flows in the Fiber Tows of Engineering Fabrics | http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=21158#.VNpS0Plfa-0 |
| Prediction of optimal flow front velocity to minimize void formation in dual scale fibrous reinforcements | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12289-012-1111-x#page-1 |
| Modeling of resin cure kinetics for molding cycle optimization | http://www.tech.plym.ac.uk/sme/FPCM/FPCM08/FPCM8/papers/FPCM8_18.pdf |