Study on impregnation parameters in preparation of CFF/PEEK laminates

Molding of carbon fiber fabrics reinforced poly (ether ether ketone) (CFF/PEEK) has always been a puzzling problem due to the high viscosity of PEEK and smooth surface of CF. Impregnation parameters including temperature and pressure play a crucial role in the manufacturing of CFF/PEEK laminates by affecting the melt flow rate (MFR) and viscosity of the melt. Here we studied impregnation parameters and analyzed their influence on MFR, viscosity and mechanical properties of CFF/PEEK. It is concluded that temperature affects impregnation by altering viscosity and MFR while pressure affects impregnation by changing MFR and gaps between fibers. By adjusting temperature and pressure, both ILSS and tensile strength can be improved by approximately 36 %. The suitable temperature is 380-390 degrees C and the pressure is 0.5 MPa.