Impregnation, flow and deformation during processing of advanced thermoplastic composites

Thermoplastic matrix composites are of increasing technical interest. This new generation of materials is not only comparable to conventional thermosetting systems in terms of performance and durability, but also affords considerable incentive in weight reduction and cost‐effective manufacturing. A careful description of the different intermediate material forms is presented in this paper along with their advantages and inherent drawbacks in processing and the manufacturing steps which follow. The micro‐mechanics of flow and deformation which, however, have to occur are partly different from that known from thermosetting composites and metallic materials. Therefore, the flow and micro‐deformation mechanisms, such as resin percolation, transverse flow and inter as well as intra‐ply slip will be discussed in detail along with their importance to get optimum consolidation of the final components.