Study of damage behavior and repair effectiveness of patch repaired carbon fiber laminate under quasi-static indentation loading

Damage caused due to low-velocity impacts in composites leads to substantial deterioration in their residual strength and eventually provokes structural failure.This work presents an experimental investigation on the effects of different patch and parent laminate stacking sequences on the enhancement of impact strength of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers(CFRP)composites by utilising the adhesively bonded external patch repair technique.Damage evolution study is also performed with the aid of Acoustic Emission(AE).Two different quasi-isotropic configurations were selected for the parent laminate,viz.,[45°/45°/0°/0°]s and[45°/0°/45°/0°]s.Quasi Static Indentation(QSI)test was performed on both the pristine laminates,and damage areas were detected by using the C-scan inspection technique.Damaged laminates were repaired by using a single-sided patch of two different configurations,viz.,[45°/45°/45°/45°]and[45°/0°/0°/45°],and employing a circular plug to fill the damaged hole.Four different combinations of repaired laminates with two configurations of each parent and patch laminate were produced,which were further subjected to the QSI test.The results reveal the effectiveness of the repair method,as all the repaired laminates show higher impact resistance compared to the respective pristine laminates.Patches of[45°/0°/0°/45°]configuration when repaired by taking[45°/45°/0°/0°]s and[45°/0°/45°/0°]s as parents exhibited 68%and 73%higher peak loads,respectively,than the respective pristine laminates.Furthermore,parent and patch of configuration[45°/0°/45°/0°]s and[45°/0°/0°/45°],respectively,attain the highest peak load,whereas[45°/45°/0°/0°]s and[45°/45°/45°/45°]combinations possess the most gradual decrease in the load.

Effect of Accelerated Aging Temperature under Artificial Seawater on the Properties of Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composites and the Erosion Mechanism

In order to explore the effect of artificial accelerated aging temperature on the performance of carbon fiber/epoxy resin composites,we used artificial seawater as the aging medium,designed the aging environment of seawater at different temperatures under normal pressure,and studied the aging behavior of carbon fiber/epoxy composites.The infrared spectroscopy results show that,with the increase of aging temperature,the degree of hydrolysis of the composite is greater.At the same time,after 250 days of aging of artificial seawater at regular temperature,40 and 60 ℃,the moisture absorption rates of composite materials were 0.45%,0.63%,and 1.05%,and the retention rates of interlaminar shear strength were 91%,78%,and 62%,respectively.It is shown that the temperature of the aging environment has a significant impact on the hygroscopic behavior and mechanical properties of the composite,that is,the higher the temperature,the faster the moisture absorption of the composite,and the faster the decay of the mechanical properties of the composite.

Corrosion damage evolution and mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced aluminum laminate

Fiber metal laminates(FMLs),a kind of lightweight material with excellent comprehensive performance,have been successfully applied in aerospace.FMLs reinforced with carbon fiber have better mechanical properties than those with glass or aramid fiber.However,carbon fiber binding metal may lead to galvanic corrosion which limits its application.In this paper,electrochemical methods,optical microscope and scanning electron microscope were used to analyze the corrosion evolution of carbon fiber reinforced aluminum laminate(CARALL)in corrosive environment and explore anti-corrosion ways to protect CARALL.The results show that the connection between carbon fiber and aluminum alloy changes electric potential,causing galvanic corrosion.The galvanic corrosion will obviously accelerate CARALL corroded in solution,leading to a 72.1%decrease in interlaminar shear strength,and the crevice corrosion has a greater impact on CARALL resulting in delamination.The reduction of interlaminar shear strength has a similar linear relationship with the corrosion time.In addition,the adhesive layers between carbon fiber and aluminum alloy cannot protect CARALL,while side edge protection can effectively slow down corrosion rate.Therefore,the exposed edges should be coated with anti-corrosion painting.CARALL has the potential to be used for aerospace components.

Effects of Cure Pressure Induced Voids on the Mechanical Strength of Carbon/Epoxy Laminates

This work aims at designing a set of curing pressure routes to produce laminates with various void contents. The effects of various consolidation pressures resulting in different void contents on mechanical strength of carbon/epoxy laminates have been examined. Characterization of the voids, in terms of void volume fraction, void distribution, size, and shape, was performed by standard test, ultrasonic inspection and metallographic analysis. The interlaminar shear strength was measured by the short-beam method. An empirical model was used to predict the strength vs porosity. The predicted strengths conform well with the experimental data and voids were found to be uniformly distributed throughout the laminate.

Flexural rigidity evolvement laws of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with carbon fiber laminates

Extensive research has shown that externally bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymer （CFRP） laminates are particularly suitable for improving the fatigue behavior of reinforced concrete （RC） beams. This paper presents the research on flexural ngidity evolvement laws by testing 14 simple-supported RC beams strengthened with carbon fiber laminates （CFL） under cyclic load, and 2 under monotone load as a reference. The cyclic load tests revealed the peak load applied onto the surface of a supported RC beam strengthened with CFL is linear to the logarithm of its fatigue life, and the flexural rigidity evolvement undergoes three distinct phases： a rapid decrease from the start to about 5% of the fatigue life; an even development from .5% to about 99% of the fatigue life; and a succedent rapid decrease to failure. When the ratio of fatigue ＂cycles to the fatigue life is within 0.0.5 to 0.99, the flexural rigidity varies linearly with the ratio. The peak load does not affect the flexural rigidity evolvement if it is not high enough to make the main reinforcements yield. The dependences of the flexural rigidity of specimens formed in the same group upon their fatigue cycles normalized by fatigue life are almost coincident. This implies the flexural rigidity may be a material parameter independent of the stress level. These relationships of flexural rigidity to fatigue cycles, and fatigue life may be able to provide some hints for fatigue design and fatigue life evaluation of RC member strengthened with CFL; nevertheless the findings still need verifying by more experiments.

Low-Velocity Impact and Compression after Impact(CAI)Behaviors of Carbon-Aramid/Epoxy Hybrid Braided Composite Laminates

Low-velocity impact and in-plane axial compression after impact(CAI)behaviors of carbon-aramid/epoxy hybrid braided composite laminates were investigated experimentally.The following three different types of carbon-aramid/epoxy hybrid braided composite laminates were produced and tested:(a)inter-hybrid laminates,(b)sandwich-like inter-hybrid laminates,and(c)unsymmetric-hybrid laminates.At the same time,carbon/epoxy braided composite laminates were used for comparisons.Impact properties and impact resistance were studied.Internal damages and damage mechanisms of laminates were detected by ultrasonic C-scan and B-scan methods.The results show that the ductility index(DI)values of three kinds of hybrid laminates aforementioned are 37%,4%and 120%higher than those of carbon/epoxy laminates,respectively.The peak load of inter-hybrid laminates is higher than that of sandwich-like inter-hybrid laminates and unsymmetric-hybrid laminates.The average damage area and dent depths of inter-hybrid laminates are 64%and 69%smaller than those of carbon/epoxy laminates.Those results show that carbon-aramid/epoxy hybrid braided composite laminates could significantly improve the impact properties and toughness of non-hybrid braided composite laminates.

Interlaminar Fracture Toughness of Epoxy Glass Fiber Fly Ash Laminate Composite

Epoxy glass fiber laminate composite (PMCs) are finding ever increasing applications in aerospace and automobile industries due to its high strength to weight ratio and resistance to aqueous environment. Additions of particulate reinforcements in the polymer matrix are reported to improve the Interlaminar Shear Strength and Interlaminar Fracture Toughness of the composites. In the present investigation, epoxy glass fiber laminate composites were processed using hand layup and vacuum bagging technique. The particulate reinforcement precipitator fly ash (25 - 45 μm) was added in the epoxy matrix by mechanical mixing up to 10 wt%. The effects of fly ash reinforcement on the mechanical properties and Interlaminar Fracture Toughness were studied before and after exposure to aqueous fog in a salt fog chamber at 45°C. In unexposed condition Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness of epoxy glass fiber laminate composite improved by the addition of fly ash reinforcement 10% (By weight) by 49.43% and when it was subjected to aqueous fog for 10 days the interlaminar fracture toughness improved 58.42%. Exposure to aqueous fog for 10 days causes plasticization of resin matrix and weakening of fiber/matrix interface results in improvement in interlaminar fracture toughness. The fracture surfaces were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy.

Analysis of vibration attenuation characteristics of large thickness carbon fiber composite laminates

The vibration attenuation and damping characteristics of carbon fiber reinforced composite laminates with different thicknesses were investigated by hammering experiments under free boundary constraints in different directions.The dynamic signal testing and analysis system is applied to collect and analyze the vibration signals of the composite specimens,and combine the self-spectrum analysis and logarithmic decay method to identify the fundamental frequencies of different specimens and calculate the damping ratios of different directions of the specimens.The results showed that the overall stiffness of the specimen increased with the increase of the specimen thickness,and when the thickness of the sample increases from 24mm to 32mm,the fundamental frequency increases by 35.1%,the vibration showed the same vibration attenuation and energy dissipation characteristics in the 0°and 90°directions of the specimen,compared with the specimen in the 45°direction,which was less likely to be excited and had poorer vibration attenuation ability,while the upper and lower surfaces of the same specimen showed slightly different attenuation characteristics to the vibration,the maximum difference of damping capacity between top and bottom surfaces of CFRP plates is about 70%.

Determination of Water Diffusion Coefficients and Dynamics in Adhesive/Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Resin Composite Joints

To determinate the water diffusion coefficients and dynamics in adhesive/carben fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite joints, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis（EDX） is used to establish the content change of oxy- gen in the adhesive in adhesive/carbon fther reinforced epoxy resin composite joints. As water is made up of oxygen and hydrogen, the water diffusion coefficients and dynamics in adhesive/carben fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite joints can be obtained from the change in the content of oxygen in the adhesive during humidity aging, via EDX analy-sis. The authors have calculated the water diffusion coefficients and dynamics in the adhesive/carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite joints with the aid of beth energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The de- termined results with EDX analysis are almost the same as those determined with elemental analysis and the results al- so show that the durability of the adhesive/carbon fther reinforced epoxy resin composite joints subjected to silane cou- pling agent treatment is better than those subjected to sand paper burnishing treatment and chemical oxidation treat- ment.

Toughness and Fracture Mechanism of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

The fracture toughness of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite(CFRP)was investigated through mode I and mode II shaped fracture system in this paper.A novel polyimide with trifluoromethyl groups and grafted nanosilica were used to modify epoxy resin.Effect of modified resin and unmodified resin on fracture toughness of CFRP was compared and discussed.Lay-up angles and thicknesses effects on fracture toughness of composites were also investigated.The fracture toughness of CFRP was obtained through double cantilever beam(DCB)and end notched flexure(ENF)tests.The results showed that the composites prepared by modified resin exhibited high fracture toughness compared with unmodified composites.The fracture toughness value of mode I increased from 1.83 kJ/m2 to 4.55 kJ/m2.The fracture toughness value of mode II increased from 2.30 kJ/m2 to 6.47 kJ/m2.

Kinetic Study of Resin-Curing on Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Resin Composites by Microwave Irradiation

Microwave processing has great potential for improving composite manufacturing such as reduction of curing time, energy requirements and operational costs. In this paper, the effects of microwave irradiation for resin-curing of carbon fiber/epoxy resin composite that was composed of discontinuous carbon fibers of 130 μm or 3 mm were investigated. The mechanical properties of carbon fiber/epoxy resin composite cured by microwave irradiation for 20 min at 120°C were similar to ones of the sample prepared by conventional oven for 180 min at 120°C. Microwavecured carbon fiber/epoxy resin composite had higher glass transition temperature than the one prepared by conventional oven. The relation between curing time and flexural modulus indicated that the curing velocity of microwave-irradiated carbon fiber/epoxy resin composite was 9 times faster than the one prepared by conventional oven. Furthermore, activation energies for resincuring reaction on microwave and conventional-cured carbon fiber/epoxy resin composite were estimated. The resin-curing reaction in carbon fiber/epoxy resin composite was promoted by microwave irradiation.

Enhancing the Mechanical Strength for a Microwave Absorption Composite Based on Graphene Nanoplatelet/Epoxy with Carbon Fibers

Microwave absorption (MWA) materials such as graphene nanoplatelet (GNP)/epoxy are mostly used as coatings on existing structures without considering mechanical properties. In this work, we aim to enhance the mechanical strength of the composite for multifunctional potentials. We used carbon fiber (four layers) to reinforce GNP/epoxy composite (2 mm thick) and investigated their multifunctional properties with GNP loading from 3 to 7 wt%. We measured the tensile strength, hardness, and MW absorption (26.5 - 40 GHz) of composite samples. Our results showed an increase in tensile strength to 109.1 ± 7.9 MPa with 7 wt% GNP in the composite from 15.3 MPa for pure epoxy. The hardness of the composites was also substantially enhanced with GNP loading up to 7 wt%. A MW absorption ratio of 72% was attained for the sample with 7 wt% GNP loading near 40 GHz. The homogenous dispersion of GNPs in the matrix reduces the stress concentration and minimizes the influence of the defects. The high MW absorption and large transmission loss together with enhanced mechanical strength provides a novel multifunctional material for potential applications.

Automatic Damage Detection and Monitoring of a Stitch Laminate System Using a Fiber Bragg Grating Strain Sensor

There are numerous aspects and questions related to the use of composite materials for primary structures in aircraft where the structural integrity is the most important factor. This is especially true if the main concerns are that the material should have good reliability and durability for the primary structural application. Composite laminates are highly sensitive to out-of-plane failure due to their low inter laminar fracture toughness. An alternate method to increase the damage resistance is through three-dimensional fibrous reinforcement such as through-the-thickness stitching with a single fiber as the thread. Recent studies have shown that the stitching of standard laminates can enhance damage tolerance to levels obtainable with toughened resin systems. However, for next-generation aircraft, material improvement alone is not enough to assure or increase the safety and reliability of the structure. Continuous damage monitoring during operation will become an important issue in aircraft safety. Embed ding fiber Bragg grating (FBG) technology into the composite structure as strain sensors could potentially solve the above problem because the FBG can be used to detect and characterize the damage before it reaches a critical stage. The model used to represent this problem is a 6 × 6 Vectran stitched carbon/ epoxy laminate under tension loading, and the real-time monitoring using the FBG strain sensors is combined with acoustic emissions that were conducted during the test. A numerical laminate theory using a rebar element and first-ply failure criterion is performed to determine the preferred area on the specimen for the placement of the FBG before manufacturing and testing. Experiments are presented to determine the damage growth that was quantified with an ultrasonic (water immersion) c-scan. In this research, the FBG successfully detected and characterized the damage in the carbon/epoxy stitch laminate caused in tension loading cases. The FBG is enhanced with acoustic emission data and can quantitatively predict the damage growth.

Recyclable High-performance Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites Based on Dithioacetal Covalent Adaptive Network

Recycling of carbon fiber reinforced composites is important for sustainable development and the circular economy.Despite the use of dynamic chemistry,developing high-strength recyclable CFRPs remains a major challenge due to the mutual exclusivity between the dynamic and mechanical properties of materials.Here,we developed a high-strength recyclable epoxy resin(HREP)based on dynamic dithioacetal covalent adaptive network using diglycidyl ether bisphenol A(DGEBA),pentaerythritol tetra(3-mercapto-propionate)(PETMP),and vanillin epoxy resin(VEPR).At high temperatures,the exchange reaction of thermally activated dithioacetals accelerated the rearrangement of the network,giving it significant reprocessing ability.Moreover,HREP exhibited excellent solvent resistance due to the increased cross-linking density.Using this high-strength recyclable epoxy resin as the matrix and carbon fiber modified with hyperbranched ionic liquids(HBP-AMIM+PF6-)as the reinforcing agent,high performance CFRPs were successfully prepared.The tensile strength,interfacial shear strength(IFSS)and interlaminar shear strength(ILSS)of the optimized formulation(HREP20/CF-HBPPF6)were 1016.1,70.8 and 76.0 MPa,respectively.In addition,the CFRPs demonstrated excellent solvent and acid/alkali-resistance.The CFRPs could completely degrade within 24 h in DMSO at 140℃,and the recycled CF still maintained the same tensile strength and ILSS as the original after multiple degradation cycles.

Surface Characteristics of Rare Earth Treated Carbon Fibers and Interfacial Properties of Composites

Effect of rare earth treatment on surface physicochemical properties of carbon fibers and interfacial properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composites was investigated, and the interfacial adhesion mechanism of treated carbon fiber/epoxy composite was analyzed. It was found that rare earth treatment led to an increase of fiber surface roughness, improvement of oxygeaa-containing groups, and introduction of rare earth element on the carbon fiber surface. As a result, coordination linkages between fibers and rare earth, and between rare earth and resin matrix were formed separately, thereby the interlaminar shear strength （ILSS） of composites increased, which indicated the improvement of the interfacial adhesion between fibers and matrix resin resulting from the increase of carboxyl and carbonyl.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of bio-inspired Cf/Ti/Mg laminated composites

Inspired by an old fish skin structure,the Cf/Ti/Mg laminated composites were fabricated by squeeze casting technology.No porous or voids were found in final composite,and carbon fiber was uniformly dispersed in Mg matrix.Furthermore,the addition of net-shaped Ti adsorbed Al element and facilitated the nucleation of Mg_(17)Al_(12)nearby Ti.The reaction product Al_(4)C_(3)was found at the Cf and AZ91 interface.Mechanical tests indicate that the introduction of Ti could greatly improve the toughness of Cf/Mg composites.

DELAMINATION FORMATION AND DELAMINATION PROPAGATION OF COMPOSITE LAMINATES UNDER COMPRESSIVE FATIGUE LOADING

Fatigue tests of the smooth composite laminates and the notched composite laminates under compressive cyclic loading have been carried out. The damage mechanism is discussed and analyzed. Damage evolution is monitored using stiffness decay. From these tests, it is found that the initial delamination occurs at the free boundary of smooth specimens, or the notch boundary of notched specimens, subjected to the compression-compression cyclic load. A point of view in relation to two-phases of compression fatigue delamination of composites is proposed, namely, compression-compression delamination consists of the delamination formation phase and the delamination propagation, and there is a 'damage transition point' to separate this two-phases. Furthermore, an empirical modulus degradation formula and its parameters fitting method are presented. According to the test data handling results, it is shown that this formula is univocal and can fit the test data conveniently. In addition, two kinds of new anti-buckling devices are designed for these tests. At last, the E-N curves, the D-N curves and the S-N curve of the smooth carbon fiber reinforced composite laminates of T300/648C are determined to predict the fatigue life of the notched composite laminate. And the E-N curve of the notched specimens at the given load ratio R = 10 and minimum load Pmin = -0.45 kN is also measured to verify the estimated result of fatigue life.

Microstructure of Carbon Fiber and Carbon Reinforced Plastic

This study is the investigation of the microstructure of different types of carbon fiber. They were compared with the carbonized and graphitized fibers. Results of structural researches have been presented. It was found that the damage varies from different pollution and the damage of the monofibers. The effect of the pollution of the monofiber was determined.

Detection of stacking orientation error of CFRP composite laminates using ultrasound waves

A jig was developed for generating a shear wave. A pyramid with an isosceles triangle with two 45o was made of aluminum to generate shear waves using two longitudinal transducers based on ultrasonic-polarized mechanism. Also, the signal splitter was connected to the pulser jack on the pulser/receiver and to the longitudinal transducers. Therefore, an experimental way was performed in order to make shear wave on the bottom of aluminum alloyed pyramid. Also, a jig was manufactured and developed for generating a shear wave based on the computer numerical simulation. It is found that the experimentally shear wave variation of newly-designed jig is consistent with computer numerical simulation results and shear wave ultrasonic application can be very useful to detect the defects in CFRP composites.

改性纳米氮化硼对纤维金属层板的性能影响

纤维金属层板是一种由金属薄板与纤维层依次交替铺叠而成,在一定的温度与压力下粘结固化形成的一种混合复合材料。因为其中有金属与纤维两种材料,因此它既有金属的富延展性、韧性强与导热性好等优点,又具有复合材料纤维的抗疲劳、耐高强度与低密度等特点。文章以提升环氧复合材料基体的拉伸与断裂韧性性能和改善FMLs的性能,尤其是冲击与弯曲性能为主要目的,采用向FMLs环氧树脂基体中添加纳米氮化硼(h-BN)的方法,来提升纤维金属层板的力学性能。先对氮化硼材料进行一系列的球磨改性处理,分成不同含量的组分依次加入环氧树脂基体中,确定用量最好的四组,再将这四组环氧树脂复合材料基体用湿法铺层的方法铺在铝薄板与碳纤维布之间,使用硫化机固化的方式制备FMLs试件,利用水切割技术切割成标准试样,并进行冲击与弯曲测试。实验结果表明,向FMLs的环氧树脂基体中添加一定量的纳米氮化硼对FMLs的性能有着积极的影响。