Processing of carbon fiber reinforced plastics by means of Joule heating

This paper deals with the fabrication method of CFRP by means of Joule heating. Because carbon fiber is electrically conductive, it is possible to cure the polymer matrix by applying an electric current directly to the carbon prepreg. In the present study, we tried to fabricate cross-ply laminates of CFRP. The mechanical properties of the cured plates were evaluated by three point bending. It is clear that the Joule heating method is one candidate for fabrication of CFRP plates, although some points are left for future investigation.