| Abstract: | The shrinkage compensation mechanism in sheet molding compounds is governed by the morphology resulting from phase separation and microvoids formation. The observed microvoid morphology is quantified by using fractal geometry, in 2D and 3D spaces. The correlation between the morphologies of the matrix with phase separation and those of the microvoids is demonstrated by simulation. The pressure effect is studied. The fact that the shrinkage compensation has a pressure dependent optimum is explained by a model for the compensated volume. Thus, the “fractal pillar effect” is a model that represents properly speaking the compromise between pressure and volume creation shown by such a smart material. |
