# Thermo-Mechanical Behavior of Carbon Fiber Composites Processed at Elevated Temperatures

## TL;DR

This paper studies how different curing temperatures affect the strength and thermal properties of carbon fiber composites made without an autoclave.

## Contribution

The study identifies an optimal temperature range (40–50 °C) that balances mechanical and thermal performance in out-of-autoclave carbon fiber composites.

## Key findings

- Higher curing temperatures improve stiffness, strength, and heat deflection temperature of carbon fiber composites.
- Curing between 40–50 °C provides the best balance of mechanical and thermal performance.
- DSC analysis shows higher temperatures lead to more complete crosslinking in the epoxy resin.

## Abstract

Out-of-autoclave (OoA) processing has emerged as a promising route for manufacturing high-performance polymer composites while reducing energy consumption and production complexity. The authors investigate the effect of curing temperature on the thermo-mechanical performances of carbon fiber-reinforced composites produced via resin infusion. Five laminates composed of six carbon fiber plies were arranged in a [90/0/45/−45/0/90] lay-up and infused with an epoxy resin cured at 25, 40, 50, 60, and 70 °C. The influence of the processed temperatures of the mechanical properties was evaluated through tensile and three-point bending tests, whereas thermal performance was analyzed using Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT) measurements and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results demonstrate an improvement in stiffness, strength, and HDT with increasing the curing temperature, with the 40–50 °C range yielding the most balanced enhancement in mechanical and thermal responses. DSC analyses confirm that higher curing temperatures promote a more complete crosslinking reaction, consistent with the improved laminate performance. Overall, the findings highlight the critical role of controlled thermal curing in optimizing OoA polymer composite systems and support their suitability for energy-efficient applications.