Currently, prepreg off-cuts produced during ply cutting and layup is disposed of in landfills. Such material is therefore wasted, to the detriment of the environment and the total cost of manufacturing. The present project seeks to develop novel strategies to reuse such trim waste in non-primary applications. On such strategy currently involves cutting the prepreg scrap into small-size individual chips and use them within a compression moulding process as “bulk molding compound.” Our current work focuses on understanding the influence of chip geometry, determining the optimal processing conditions, characterizing the properties of the manufactured material, and identifying feasible applications.
Prepreg chip, originating from a woven fabric OOA/VBO prepreg, being laid up on a flat tool for compression moulding. The chips consist of carbon fibres and uncured epoxy resin, and are randomly distributed within the plane. Each chip measures 1” by 0.25”.
