Advanced Composites

Prepreg Fabrics
Prepregs are fabrics and fibres that are pre-impregnated by the materials manufacturer, under heat and pressure or with solvent, with a pre-catalysed resin. To prolong storage life the materials are stored frozen. The resin is usually a near-solid at ambient temperatures, and so the pre-impregnated materials (prepregs) have a light sticky feel to them. Prepregs are laid up by hand or machine onto a mould surface, vacuum bagged and then heated to typically 120-180°C. Additional pressure for the moulding is usually provided by an autoclave. Low Temperature Curing prepregs are made exactly as conventional prepregs but have resin chemistries that allow cure to be achieved at temperatures from 60-100°C. One of the main advantages of prepregs is that high fibre contents can be reliably achieved.

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