HYBTEX (Development of a Thermoplastic Composite Production Method by Using Advanced Hybrid Yarns with High Mechanical Performance)

The most important obstacle in the applications of thermoplastic composites, which are among the materials of the future, is the lack of resin impregnation and consolidation due to high viscosity of thermoplastics. Although hybrid yarns, in which polymer fibers coexist with reinforcing fibers, have been developed as a solution for this problem, to continue a work about manufacturing composite parts from hybrid yarns. The aim of the project is to develop a fiber winding machine head which allows the winding of hybrid yarns at the desired angle for the production of high-performance thermoplastic composite parts. The hybrid yarns were produced by the project partner HTC (Spain) and the fiber winding head using these yarns was produced by our company. The filament winding method is a revolution in the production of products with a high quality surface. It enables the use of fiber / polymer technology with the maximum efficiency. In this method, pre-impregnated fibers (towpreg) or hybrid yarns impregnated with polymer resin are consolidated by applying pressure and temperature on a rotating die surface or on machine controlled geometric mandrel. With the fiber winding system developed within the scope of this project, a new system was added to the company’s composite production process portfolio. Also, process data for PPS / carbon fiber and PEI / carbon fiber composites, which have never been studied before, were obtained. As known, these two product groups together with PEEK are the leading raw materials which have already been used for aviation application in the world thermoplastic composite industry.

The know-how obtained by this project will increase the limited knowledge and experience on thermoplastic composite processing systems in Turkey, and will be able to pave the way for domestic production studies.