Numerical Approach to the Simulation of Vitrimer Matrix Composites Manufacturing by Infusion and Coating by Cold Spray

Aiming to minimize time, energy, and materials-consuming trial and error experimental analyses, a numerical modeling approach of vitrimer flow and cold spray deposition is proposed in this work. The characteristics of vitrimeric matrices were evaluated by elaborating data from previously performed differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. The pieces of information related to the transition temperatures and mechanical evolution after curing were exploited to feed the numerical models and to run sensitivity analyses. The flow model is based on prior evaluation of the dry reinforcement permeability at a micro- and meso-scale. The flow model has been implemented using a commercial simulative environment based on the control volumes approach. A single impacting particle was simulated in a finite element environment to analyze, in a focused way, the deposition mechanisms.The objective of this analysis is the integrated implementation of a numerical model for vitrimer flow through carbon fabric reinforcement in infusion processes and single particle deposition on vitrimer matrix composite substrates.