Microwave curing of long fiber reinforced composites in an open antenna system

In the present work, microwave radiation has been employed in order to polymerize the resin of long fibre reinforced composites1. A magnetron of 2000W and an open antenna system inside an isolated cabin of 8 meters long and 4 meters width have been used for microwave curing in the infusion process. The research includes the determination of the dielectric function of the resin and the assessment on microwave susceptors suitable to enhance the curing time. Process parameters were also studied and compared to the traditional heating process. A cost effective method for high size composites manufacturing was achieved.