A lightweight fabric designed for use in composite manufacturing. It's applied over wetted out reinforcement on the first coat of a project, with more resin applied over it to wet out the peel ply. Once the epoxy cures, the peel ply is removed, leaving a slightly textured, amine blush-free surface. This product is also utilized when additional bonding and finishing operations are required.
Peel ply is a versatile tool in various composite manufacturing processes. It's commonly used in vacuum bag cure of prepreg or wet-preg and vacuum infusion processing, as well as in glass lamination and compression molding. In the context of vacuum bag curing, the peel ply is placed against the final prepreg layer. Its primary function is to keep bonding surfaces clean until they're ready for bonding and to provide an enhanced surface free energy when removed. Upon removal, it fractures the resin matrix layer, leaving a slightly energized surface, which is beneficial for further processing or bonding.
Peel ply fabrics, usually made from materials like polyester or polyamide, serve as removable layers in composite lay-ups, significantly affecting the surface's elemental composition for adhesive bonding. The choice between polyester and polyamide peel ply treatments can be determined based on the specific requirements of a composite system.
These characteristics make peel ply an essential component in achieving high-quality finishes in composite materials, particularly in industries where precision and durability are crucial, such as aerospace, automotive, and marine engineering. Its use ensures that foreign materials do not become integrated into the finished part, maintaining the integrity and quality of the composite material.
