Dry carbon fiber reinforcement for resin infusion

TeXtreme Gapped UD from TeXtreme (Foretagsgatan, Sweden) is a flat, unidirectional (UD) reinforcement material integrating 0.3-mm gaps between fiber tows, designed for resin infusion processes. These gaps function as efficient resin and air evacuation conduits, expediting consistent wetting of the material while preserving its mechanical attributes. With a fiber volume fraction of more than 60%, TeXtreme Gapped UD offers mechanical characteristics aligned with UD prepreg solutions.

The TeXtreme Gapped UD material is designed to fit the format of standard automated fibr placement (AFP) and automated tape laying (ATL) machines used for composites manufacturing. TeXtreme says the material has easy handling, cutting and preforming, leading to reduced layup time and waste. Further amplifying its utility beyond UD prepreg performance, TeXtreme Gapped UD provides other advantages, such as high permeability, enabling fast wetout over large surface areas. The material is a cost-effective solution that minimizes the need for cold storage and short-term considerations. It was crafted to meet the demands of the aerospace, marine and industrial sectors, catering to those in search of an economically viable out-of-autoclave solution that rivals the performance of traditional prepreg materials.

In collaboration with GKN Aerospace, Innovatum Science Park and Produktionstekniskt Centrum, PTC and with financial support from Tillväxtverket (The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth) and Västra Götalandsregionen, TeXtreme Gapped UD was used in tandem with resin transfer molding (RTM) to produce an aerospace engine guide vane within the REACT PTC project. The resulting monolithic guide vane, composed of multiple TeXtreme Gapped UD layers, has a 10-mm thickness and achieves a fiber volume fraction surpassing 60%.

TeXtreme Gapped UD is available in a variety of sizes and fiber weights, including ¼", ½", 1", 1.5", 2", 12", 24" and 50" UD formats employing carbon fiber, with other fibers available upon request. The material can be supplied with fiber areal weights (FAW) spanning from 100 gsm to 400 gsm. The product is also offered in woven 0/90° and woven +/-45° formats, with the woven variant supplied with FAW ranging from 200 to 800 gsm, spanning a width of 1m.