This study investigates a novel thermoplastic prepreg rig and method of manufacturing prepregs using aqueous wet powder impregnation. The compact, easily maintained prepreg rig is suitable for rapid prepreg manufacturing in laboratory-scale research. The rig could be used with a wide range of thermoplastic powders and reinforcing fibres. Tests were conducted to study various settings and parameters, including the polymer–carrier ratio, winding speed and fibre tension. The study examined the effectiveness of the liquid carrier in suspending the polymer powder and tested the consistency of the rig in resin pick-up. The findings indicate that a winding speed of 4.2 to 5.7 m/min with a low fibre tension is ideal for producing S2-glass/PAEK prepregs. The amount of polymer pick-up by the fibre tow remained constant throughout the winding for 10, 20, and 30 wt% slurries. However, higher wt% slurry settings resulted in resin agglomeration on the rollers, causing significant fibre breakage.

中文翻译：

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促进水性粉末浸渍制造热塑性复合材料：预浸料装置设计和工艺优化

本研究研究了一种新型热塑性预浸料装置以及使用水性湿粉末浸渍制造预浸料的方法。紧凑、易于维护的预浸料装置适用于实验室规模研究中的快速预浸料制造。该设备可用于多种热塑性粉末和增强纤维。进行测试以研究各种设置和参数，包括聚合物载体比率、缠绕速度和纤维张力。该研究检查了液体载体在悬浮聚合物粉末方面的有效性，并测试了设备在树脂拾取方面的一致性。研究结果表明，4.2 至 5.7 m/min 的卷绕速度和低纤维张力是生产 S2-玻璃/PAEK 预浸料的理想选择。对于 10、20 和 30 wt% 浆料，纤维束吸收的聚合物量在整个缠绕过程中保持恒定。然而，较高重量％的浆料设置会导致树脂在辊上聚集，从而导致明显的纤维断裂。