TCR Services

When it comes to choosing a prepreg supply partner, reliable service and high-quality products are essential and expected.

By choosing TCR Composites, you gain a supply partner with technical savvy and a legendary industry image. Our technical teams are ready to help your business optimize your prepreg applications to achieve maximum performance.

Mechanical Testing

The mechanical testing team consists of knowledgeable engineers and technicians who possess many years of expertise in filament winding and the fabrication, testing, and failure analysis of composite articles. All mechanical tests are performed in accordance with respected and known industry standards and test methods. The TCR Composites’ internal mechanical test lab capabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Tensile (0° and 90°)
  • (ASTM D3039)

  • Compression (0° and 90°)
  • (SACMA SRM 1R-94)

  • Single Strand Tensile Strength
  • (ASTM D4018)

  • Flexural Strength
  • (ASTM D0790)

  • Short Beam Strength
  • (ASTM D2344)

  • Fracture Toughness (K1c)
  • (ASTM D5045)

Laboratory Services

The R&D team consists of an experienced group of scientists with significant expertise in resin chemistry and polymer science. Their efforts include the development and testing of new resin formulations and the creation or improvement of resin cure cycles, to maximize performance in TCR Prepregs. They efficiently work with the other internal teams to quickly resolve customer technical concerns. The TCR Composites’ internal R&D lab capabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Measure glass transition temperature (Tg)
  • Quantify enthalpy of reaction (ΔH) and determine of degree of cure
  • Define thermal cure kinetics
  • Temperature modulation capability

Measure glass transition temperature (Tg) by two instrument geometry modes:

  • 3-point-bend (tensile modulus- E”, E”, Tan δ)
  • Torsional (shear modulus- G”, G’, Tan δ)

Cure Rheology by Parallel Plate

  • Dynamic complex viscosity (η*)
  • Dynamic resin gel point (G’-G” crossover)
  • Optimization of the resin viscosity and flow during cure

Measurements conducted with a quartz expansion probe

  • Coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)
  • CTE measurement range (-60°C to 250°C)

  • Glass transition temperature (Tg)

Ability to perform measurements in an inert N2 atmosphere or air to identify:

  • Isothermal temperature stability
  • Dynamic onset of thermal decomposition
  • Degree of char formation during thermal decomposition