Modeling of curing of composite materials for the inflatable structure of a lunar space base | Mekhanika | kompozitsionnykh | materialov i konstruktsii
> Volume 15 > №4 / 2009 / Pages: 512-526

Modeling of curing of composite materials for the inflatable structure of a lunar space base

, ,

Abstract:

One of the factors that characterize open space is high vacuum and vacuum evaporation of active components of materials. Numerical simulations of a liquid binder cured under vacuum conditions show that the evaporation of active components is the critical parameter of the curing process. The obtained experimental results indicate that the epoxy matrix of a composite material is able to cure in high vacuum. Curves illustrating variations in the evaporation of components with pressure and time as well as changes in the composition and mechanical properties of components subjected to evaporation are presented. It is shown that the curing process can be controlled by an optimal degree of composite pre-curing which provides both the adequate deformation properties of the composite in the inflatable structure and complete curing of the matrix.

0