The Effect of Repass Treatment on the Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of CF/PEKK Thermoplastic Composite Laminates Manufactured Using Laser-Assisted Automated Fiber Placement

The emerging thermoplastic composite material PEKK exhibits superior thermal stability compared to PEEK. In this work, CF/PEKK laminates were fabricated using laser-assisted heating in AFP, and the effects of repass treatment on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the laminates were compared. The results show that after a single repass treatment, the tensile strength of the laminates increased by 28.39%, while the interlaminar shear strength increased by 11.9%, likely due to the distinct load-bearing components under the two loading conditions. Additionally, the repass treatment significantly improves the fiber/resin interface and surface roughness of the laminates.