ENCAPSULATED

PREMIER™
SAMPLE
ESR RHEOMETER
1 Company confidential
 At-A-Glance

Alpha Technologies is the leader in applying rheology science

to testing that makes a difference in the rubber and polymer
world.

18K

2 Sales / Demo Office Direct Sales / Field Service Associates

MEASUREMENT OF PREPREG CURING IS CHALLENGING
ACCURACY AND EFFICIENCY ARE LACKING

 Sample preparation for analysis is difficult and

error-prone
 DSC only tells part of the cure story
 Scientific rheometers cannot manage the full
prepreg sample

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CURRENT METHODS FALL SHORT
METHODS TRIED FOR DECADES HAVE DOCUMENTED SHORTCOMINGS

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

 Established technology X Difficult to use

SENSORS  Dielectric, fiber optic and ultrasonic
options
X Difficult to correlate to VE properties
X Costly

X Difficult sample prep from prepreg

 Laboratory staple
X Does not capture network formation
DSC  Dielectric, fiber optic and ultrasonic
options
X Does not consider effect of fiber
X Very small sample size

LAB  Established technology X Resin escapes edges

RHEOMETE  Good for testing low-viscosity, soft
materials
X Often limited to one prepreg layer
X Poorer temperature control (convection)
R

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SIMPLIFY SAMPLE SETUP
IT’S AS EASY AS CUT. STACK. SEAL.

❶ ❷ ❸
CUT STACK SEAL
Use included die to cut samples Stack cut disks to achieve desired Insert stack in patented seal system
thickness Adjust pressure on sample to control
Ensures uniform shape & size
Orient layers to show effect of fiber compression and improve results.
direction

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EASIER HANDLING. BETTER RESULTS.
MEASURE RHEOLOGY WITH AN “INSTRUMENTED COMPRESSION MOLD”

HANDLE SAMPLES WITH EASE

 Measure dynamic rheology of prepreg samples
directly
 Keep constant fiber / resin ratio with patented O-
ring system

MORE ACCURATE CURE RESULTS

 Apply pressure throughout measurement
 Grooved dies reduce sample slippage
 Measure the effects of the whole system – matrix
+fiber
 Meet ASTM standard D7750

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GET THE FULL PICTURE
MEASURE FIBER + RESIN PERFORMANCE

EASIER AND MORE ACCURATE

CYCLE TIME PREDICTION
 No need for scraping resin from prepreg for
analysis
 Capture the real cure profile for the whole
system
 Faster cure prediction allows for reduced
cycle times
 Verify any autoclave cure by programming
recorded temperature.

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MEASURE WHAT MATTERS
HEAT OF REACTION IS ONLY PART OF THE STORY

OPTIMIZE PRODUCTION CYCLE

TIMES AND PROPERTIES
 Better predict onset of cure
 Improve end of cure prediction
 Identify the optimal window for pressure
application
 Measure build of physical properties, not
just heat of reaction

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STOP GUESSING ABOUT PRESSURE
IDENTIY THE OPTIMAL WINDOW TO APPLY PRESSURE IN REAL TIME

1000000 400

BETTER PROPERTIES AND 350

FEWER FAILURES

Elastic Shear Modulus G' (kPa)

100000 300
Final Modulus (100% Cure)
 Apply pressure for optimal time
 Measure samples in real time “ex- 250

Temperature (F)
situ”
10000 200

 Reduce interlaminar shear failures

150
Cure

1000 100

Onset of Cure
First Melt 50

Melt Viscosity (0% Cure)

100 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Time (minutes)

Company confidential 9
ONE INSTRUMENT FOR PRE AND POST CURE ANALYSIS
MEASURE GLASS TRANSITION TEMPERATURE AFTER CURE

10,000 0.800
CURE AND GLASS TRANSITION
IN THE SAME INSTRUMENT
Tg = 353.3
0.700

 No need to setup sample in DMA

1,000 0.600

 Measure same sample used in cure G*

Tg = 317.4 F

analysis

Shear Modulus G* (MPa)

0.500

 Use full cure cycle data for advanced

property modeling 100 0.400

 Similar to SACMA STM18R-94 0.300

10 0.200

Tan(Delta)
0.100

1 0.000
100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Temperature (F)

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