Abstract: The flow behavior of resin in the process of forming thermoset resin composites determines the volume distribution of the fiber after the final forming, which seriously affects the final forming quality of the components. As the absorption carrier of the excess resin in the prepreg, the material properties of the bleeder play an important role in the flow of the resin. Focusing on the bleeder, a simulation model is established for the consolidation and compaction of thick section composites in autoclave based on the AS4/3501 6 composite system. It contains solidification reaction module, heat conduction module and compaction module. Compared with the experiment data, the feasibility of the model was verified. The influence of the key parameters including porosity, permeability, and thickness on the flow of the resin under the synergistic action of pressure and temperature was studied by the simulation model. The results show that as the spatial measurement of the absorption resin carrier, the porosity and the thickness of the bleeder play a major role in the final compaction thickness of the composite laminates. The permeability of the bleeder influences the compaction by changing the resin flow rate. And, if the permeability is too small, the compaction thickness of the composite laminates would be decreased obviously.

Key words: composites, consolidation, resin flow, bleeder