Characterization of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastics for Induction Processing

Induction heating provides a contactless and efficient heating technique for joining, forming, and other processing of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic (CFRT) material, especially beneficial for localized heating. Due to the non-homogeneity and anisotropy of CFRT, it is very difficult to characterize its electromagnetic parameters and predict the heating behavior. The electrical resistivity is experimentally measured and compared for different material structures, directions, and frequencies. The behavior of eddy current flow within the materials is examined using three-dimensional FEA. The challenges of obtaining uniform heat in a local zone, and possible solutions are discussed.