The interlaminar fracture of organic-matrix,woven reinforcement composites

A study has been made of the interlaminar (transverse) fracture of glass and graphite fabric composites. A double cantilever beam specimen was used and was width-tapered for constant change in compliance with crack length so that the fracture energy calculation is independent of crack length. It was found that the interlaminar fracture energy could be significantly increased either by the addition of elastomeric toughening agents to the epoxy matrix or by using a thermoplastic matrix resin instead of an epoxy. The largest increase in interlaminar fracture energy (approximately eight-fold) was obtained for an epoxy matrix/graphite fabric composite by the addition of elastomeric modifiers.     

Oxide ceramic matrix/oxide fibre woven fabric composites exhibiting dissipative fracture behaviour

The effects of a zirconia interphase on the mechanical properties of long, continuous, oxide fibre-reinforced oxide ceramic matrix (mullite) composites prepared through a sol-gel route have been studied by scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and three-point bending tests. The achievement of a non-brittle composite was related to the absence of chemical reaction between the zirconia interphase and the oxide fibres. Comparison was made with SiC Nicalon fibre woven fabricreinforced oxide matrix composites.     

Stiffness and strength behaviour of woven fabric composites

This paper presents three analytical models for the investigation of the stiffness and strength of woven fabric composites. The mosaic model is effective in predicting the elastic properties of fabric composites. The fibre undulation model takes into account fibre continuity and undulation and has been adopted for modelling the knee behaviour of plain weave fabric composites. The bridging model is developed to simulate the load transfer among the interlaced regions in satin composites. The theoretical predictions coincide extremely well with experimental measurements. The elastic stiffness and knee stress in satin composites are higher than those in plain weave composites due to the presence of the bridging regions in the weaving pattern.On leave from National Aerospace Laboratory 1880 Jindaiji, Chofu, Tokyo, 182, Japan.     

Initial fracture behavior of satin woven fabric composites

Final fractures of composites is considered to be caused by cumulation of the microfractures, so that, the initiation of microfracture, namely, initial fracture is important factor to know the mechanical properties. Microfracture behaviors in textile composites were regarded to be decided by the geometry of textile fabric quantitatively. In this study, initial fracture in plain and satin woven fabric composites was investigated and the effect of weaving structure on initial fracture behavior was clarified. First, in order to investigate the geometry of textile fabric, crimp ratio and aspect ratio were measured. Tensile testing was performed and knee point on the stress–strain curve was identified. Fracture process of composites was observed by replica method. Initial fracture in plain woven fabric composite was confirmed as transverse crack in weft fiber bundle, on the other hand, in satin woven fabric composites both transverse crack and filament fracture at the same time was observed. The effects of changes in crimp ratio and aspect ratio on the initial fracture of woven fabric composites were discussed.     

Ballistic impact behaviour of woven fabric composites: Formulation

Resistance to high velocity impact is an important requirement for high performance structural materials. Even though, polymer matrix composites are characterized by high specific stiffness and high specific strength, they are susceptible to impact loading. For the effective use of such materials in structural applications, their behaviour under high velocity impact should be clearly understood. In the present study, investigations on the ballistic impact behaviour of two-dimensional woven fabric composites have been presented. Ballistic impact is generally a low-mass high velocity impact caused by a propelling source. The analytical method presented is based on wave theory. Different damage and energy absorbing mechanisms during ballistic impact have been identified. These are: cone formation on the back face of the target, tension in primary yarns, deformation of secondary yarns, delamination, matrix cracking, shear plugging and friction during penetration. Analytical formulation has been presented for each energy absorbing mechanism. Energy absorbed during each time interval and the corresponding reduction in velocity of the projectile has been determined. The solution is based on the target material properties at high strain rate and the geometry and the projectile parameters. Using the analytical formulation, ballistic limit, contact duration at ballistic limit, surface radius of the cone formed and the radius of the damaged zone have been predicted for typical woven fabric composites. The analytical predictions have been compared with the experimental results. A good correlation has been observed.     

A method for testing interlaminar dynamic fracture toughness of polymeric composites

Static and dynamic Mode I delamination fracture in two polymeric fiber composites was studied using a WIF test method. The dynamic test was conducted on a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar apparatus. Crack speeds up to 1000 m/s were achieved. Dynamic fracture and crack propagation were modeled by the finite element method. Dynamic initiation fracture toughness of S2/8552 and IM7/977-3 composites were obtained. The dynamic fracture toughness of IM7/977-3 associated with the high speed propagating crack was extracted from the finite element simulation based on the measured data. It was found that the dynamic fracture toughness of the delamination crack propagating at a speed up to 1000 m/s approximately equals the static fracture toughness.     

Fabrication and characterization of three-dimensional cellular-matrix composites reinforced with woven carbon fabric

A low-density three-dimensional cellular-matrix composite reinforced with woven carbon fabric (3DCMC), was fabricated by means of a pressure-quenching molding technique with nitrogen gas as the blowing agent. Epoxy resins in the interstices of yarns in the 3DCMC samples were vacated during the foaming process and needle shaped voids were also generated between fibers in yarns. The average density of the 3DCMC samples was about 10³ kg/m³, and their density reduction was 28–37% compared with a regular matrix composite with the same preform. The 3DCMC has 32–42% higher specific tensile strength, 14–37% greater specific tensile modulus, a lower specific flexure strength but 35% higher specific tangent modulus in 3-point bending, a 30–40% higher specific impact energy absorption at an impact velocity around 120 m/s and a similar specific energy absorption at about 220 m/s. Meanwhile, the 3-point bending and impact test results of 3DCMC showed that they have different fracture mechanisms from that of 3DRMC.     

Fabrication and characterization of three-dimensional PMR polyimide composites reinforced with woven basalt fabric

A PMR polyimide composite reinforced with three-dimensional (3D) woven basalt fabric is fabricated for medium high temperature applications. The PMR polyimide matrix resin is derived from 4,4′-methylenediamine (MDA), diethyl ester of 3,3′,4,4′-oxydiphthalic (ODPE) and monoethyl ester of Cis-5-norbornene-endo-2,3-dicarboxylic acid (NE). The rheological properties of the PMR polyimide matrix resin are investigated. Based on the curing reaction of the PMR type polyimide and the rheological properties, an optimum two-step fabrication method is proposed. The three dimensional fabric preforms are impregnated with the polyimide resin in a vacuum oven at 70 °C for 1 h followed by removing the solvent and pre-imidization. The composites are then consolidated by an optimized molding procedure. Scanning electron microscopy analysis shows that needle shaped voids are generated in yarns and the void volume fraction is 4.27%. The decomposition temperature and the temperature at 5% weight loss of the composite post-cured at 320 °C for 24 h are 440 °C and 577 °C, respectively. The dielectric constant and the dielectric loss of the composite are measured by circular cavity method at 7–12 GHz. The tensile strength and the modulus in the warp direction of the composite are 436 MPa and 22.7 GPa. The composite shows a layer-by-layer fracture mode in three-point bending test. The flexure strength and modulus in the warp direction of the composite are 673 MPa and 27.1 GPa, respectively.     

碳纤维机织物增强热塑性树脂复合材料热冲压叠层模型

针对碳纤维增强热塑性树脂复合材料(CFRTP)在热冲压成型过程中涉及到大变形、各向异性和多场耦合的现象,为了表征CFRTP在成型中的力学特征,基于有限元方法与连续介质力学理论提出了一种热塑性树脂基体与碳纤维机织物的叠层模型。与单独采用碳纤维机织物超弹性本构模型预测CFRTP成型性能的方法相比,提出的叠层模型能够表征成型温度、压边力和纤维取向对CFRTP成型缺陷的影响,并能优化热冲压成型工艺参数。这一叠层模型具有简单实用和材料参数容易确定的优点,为碳纤维机织物增强热塑性树脂复合材料成型的数值模拟和成型工艺优化奠定了理论基础。     

Development of woven fabric reinforced all-polypropylene composites with beta nucleated homo- and copolymer matrices

In the present work self-reinforced polypropylene composites (SRPPC) were developed and investigated. As reinforcement a fabric, woven from highly stretched split PP yarns, whereas as matrix materials α and β crystal forms of isotactic PP homopolymer and random copolymer (with ethylene) were selected and used. The composite sheets were produced by film-stacking method and compression moulded at different processing temperatures keeping the holding time and pressure constant. The quality of the composite sheets was assessed by optical microscopy, density and peel-strength measurements. The SRPPC specimens were subjected to static tensile and flexural, and dynamic falling weight impact tests and the related results were analyzed as a function of processing temperature and polymorphic composition. Based on the results the optimum processing temperature was determined and found by 20–25 °C above the related matrix melting temperature. It was established that the β-modified PP homopolymer based one-component SRPPCs possessed similar attractive mechanical properties as the intensively studied α-random PP copolymer based two-component ones.     

Multi-scale modeling of refractory woven fabric composites

Thermomechanical analysis of a refractory, woven fabric composite was conducted using a multi-scale analysis technique. The composite was made of carbons and ceramic materials. The fibers were made of carbons and the outer coating was made of a ceramic material. In order to reduce the thermal stress in the carbon fibers and the ceramic material caused by mismatch of coefficients of thermal expansion between the two materials, a graphitized carbon layer was introduced between the fiber and the ceramic coating. For the multi-scale analysis, a new analysis model was developed and used to bridge the micro-scale characteristics, i.e. the constituent material level such as carbon and ceramic materials, to the macro-scale behavior, i.e. the woven fabric composite level. Furthermore, finite element analyses were undertaken with discrete modeling of the representative fibers, coating, and the graphitized middle layers. Then, both multi-scale analytical and numerical results were compared. In this study, thermal stresses at the micro-level, i.e. in the fibers and coating materials, as well as effective thermomechanical properties of the refractory composites were computed using the multi-scale technique.     

The interlaminar fracture behaviour and toughening mechanisms of new carbon fibre-reinforced bismaleimide composites

The interlaminar fracture behaviour of carbon fibre-reinforced bismaleimide (BMI) composites prepared by using a new modified BMI matrix has been investigated by various methods. Laminates of three typical stacking sequences were evaluated. Double cantilever beam, end-notch flexure and edge-delamination tension tests were conducted under conventional conditions and in a scanning electron microscope. The strain energy release rates in Mode I and Mode II, G_Ic and G_IIc, as well as the total strain energy release rate, G_mc, have been determined and found to be higher than those for laminates with an epoxy matrix. Dynamic delamination propagation was also studied. The toughening mechanisms are discussed.     

Dielectric properties of woven fabric glass fiber reinforced polymer-matrix composites in the THz frequency range

Electromagnetic wave transmittances of plain woven fabric glass fiber reinforced epoxy matrix composite (PW-GFRP) and eight-harness-stain fabric glass fiber reinforced polyimide matrix composite (8H-GFRP) with 1.0 mm thickness were measured in a terahertz (THz) frequency range. The transmittance values for both composites are nearly zero at a frequency of 1.0 THz. The real parts of the complex dielectric constant, ε′(ω) are 4.45 and 3.87 for PW-GFRP and 8H-GFRP, respectively, in the frequency range from 0.2 to 1.0 THz, and they are almost frequency independent. Conversely, the imaginary parts of the dielectric constant, ε′′(ω) for both composites linearly increases with increase of the frequency from 0.13 to 0.37 for PW-GFRP, and from 0.12 to 0.33 for 8H-GFRP.     

Influence of silane coupling agents on interlaminar fracture in glass fibre fabric reinforced unsaturated polyester laminates

The relationship between the adhesive properties of the interphase of glass fibre/resin and the resultant composite Mode I delamination fracture toughness in glass fibre fabric laminate (GFFL) was studied. The Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness of GFFL was obtained by using a double cantilever beam (DCB) specimen. The delamination resistance of GFFLs which have two silane coupling agents and three concentration finishes is discussed on the basis of interlaminar fracture toughness. The crack propagation behaviour of DCB testing was mainly divided into stable and unstable manners. The fracture toughness and the crack propagation behaviour were dependent on the types and concentration of silane coupling agents.     

Viscoelastic interlaminar shear modulus of fibre reinforced composites

An inverse parameter identification technique using a modified Iosipescu shear test (MIST) has been developed for determining the viscoelastic interlaminar shear modulus of composite laminates. The main component of the technique involves minimising the difference between an experimentally measured and a numerically determined creep response at various elevated temperatures by varying the interlaminar shear modulus terms in the numerical model. Consequently, the ‘optimum’ model for the viscoelastic interlaminar shear modulus can be found at each temperature. These individual models are then combined to form a single ‘master curve’ for which a time-shift function and a Prony-series is fitted. In the present studies, Hexcel F593–18 plain weave pre-preg laminates were investigated. Experimental creep tests were conducted at various temperatures between 40 °C and 150 °C. Through the application of the inverse parameter identification technique, it was determined that the viscoelastic interlaminar shear moduli of the composite material can be effectively modelled by a nine-term Prony series and a third-order polynomial time-shift function.     

平纹织物复合材料横向力学性能研究

通过对平纹织物复合材料的横向拉压试验, 分析了产生各种破坏现象的微观机理。横向压缩过程中,在与水平面成45°方向剪切破坏的同时还出现层间裂纹。由于两个方向上纱线的弯曲程度不同, 破坏形式有很大差异, 不同自由边处的纱线界面存在不同程度的剪切破坏, 并表现出不同的边缘效应。借助显微镜观察和基于代表体积单元的数值模拟对这些现象进行了分析, 发现高度不均匀的内部波纹纱线结构在横向压缩下产生的层间剪切应力是出现横向裂纹的主要原因。