2017 Volume 64 Issue 10 Pages 532-537
In order to develop a novel high-speed forming method of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) using microwave-irradiation, the heating condition of CFRP was investigated using mullite dense compact with low thermal effusivity (3.8 kJ/m2·s1/2·K) and alumina dense compact with high thermal effusivity (10.3 kJ/m2·s1/2·K) as a mold. It was found that mullite dense compact with low thermal effusivity was useful as a mold material for the novel high-speed forming method of CFRP using microwave-irradiation because the mullite dense compact could heat CFRP 1.25 times faster than the alumina dense compact. Furthermore, it was found that the thermal conductivity of the densified mullite compact was affected by the size of the sintered grains, and the densified mullite compact was a mold material having heat resistance and mechanical strength for CFRP molding conditions.
