The Quickstep Process does not stop the resin reacting exothermically. However, the Quickstep Process does have the capacity to remove the heat generated by the reaction by effectively transferring it into the Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF). The HTF, that moments earlier had brought the resins to curing temperature, now acts as a massive heat sink with enormous thermal inertia in comparison to the reaction heat generated, thus cooling the part to the temperature of the HTF.
This exotherm control is sometimes seen as a 'blip' in the temperature trace, where the probe inside the laminate records a rise in temperature above the HTF for a few minutes, then it falls back to the HTF temperature as the heat of the reaction is absorbed.
As there is a 1 to 2 inch (25mm – 50mm) thick layer of HTF present across the part, this temperature can be held constant across the part regardless of the levels of heat energy liberated from the exothermic reaction in thick or thin sections of the laminate.
This benefit of exotherm control will be particularly noticeable with toughened or multiphase, long chain highly reactive resins that are difficult to control under autoclave cure, resulting in poor properties. Some of the resin systems that can be used with the Quickstep Process are so reactive that they would be uncontrollable when processed in an autoclave. These resin systems are expected to provide toughness and mechanical performance significantly above present systems with much faster cycle times.
