Temperature dependence of optical properties for thermoplastic composite prepreg during laser in-situ consolidation

The optical properties of the thermoplastic prepreg play a critical role in influencing heating efficiency during the in-situ consolidation process. This study investigates the temperature-dependent reflectance of the prepreg during laser heating. A reflectance testing device is developed based on an in-situ heating system, and the reflectance of carbon fiber/PEEK prepreg is studied from 20 to 500 °C. Through a comparative analysis, the reflectance of pure PEEK films and carbon fibers are individually examined within the same temperature range. The variation in reflectance at different temperatures is explained according to the classical electromagnetic theory. Furthermore, the effect of fiber density on the reflectance of thermoplastic prepreg is explored, and the results indicate that the reflectance of the prepreg decreases from 15.65 % to 11.80 % as the temperature rises from 20 °C to 500 °C, which can be primarily attributed to the decline in carbon fiber reflectance with increasing temperature.