Characterization of SiC whisker-filled polybenzoxazine cured by microwave radiation and heat

Abstract

The effect of microwave and thermal curing on the properties of SiCw-filled polybenzoxazine is examined. The benzoxazine resin (BA-a) can be cured thermally above 150 degrees C but was hardly cured by microwave irradiation even using a power up to 1 kW. The presence of only 4% by weight of the SiCw significantly reduces the processing time of the composites from two hours at 200 degrees C using the traditional thermal cure to less than 20 minutes using a microwave cure power of 270W. The mechanical and thermal behaviors of the SiCw-filled polybenzoxazine show no significant difference with either curing methods.