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http://dx.doi.org/10.12989/scs.2019.31.2.113

Mode-I fracture toughness of carbon fiber/epoxy composites interleaved by aramid nonwoven veils  

Beylergil, Bertan (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University)
Tanoglu, Metin (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology)
Aktas, Engin (Department of Civil Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology)
Publication Information
Steel and Composite Structures / v.31, no.2, 2019 , pp. 113-123 More about this Journal
Abstract
In this study, carbon fiber/epoxy (CF/EP) composites were interleaved with aramid nonwoven veils with an areal weight density of $8.5g/m^2$ to improve their Mode-I fracture toughness. The control and aramid interleaved CF/EP composite laminates were manufactured by VARTM in a [0]4 configuration. Tensile, three-point bending, compression, interlaminar shear, Charpy impact and Mode-I (DCB) fracture toughness values were determined to evaluate the effects of aramid nonwoven fabrics on the mechanical performance of the CF/EP composites. Thermomechanical behavior of the specimens was investigated by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). The results showed that the propagation Mode-I fracture toughness values of CF/EP composites can be significantly improved (by about 72%) using aramid nonwoven fabrics. It was found that the main extrinsic toughening mechanism is aramid microfiber bridging acting behind the crack-tip. The incorporation of these nonwovens also increased interlaminar shear and Charpy impact strength by 10 and 16.5%, respectively. Moreover, it was revealed that the damping ability of the composites increased with the incorporation of aramid nonwoven fabrics in the interlaminar region of composites. On the other hand, they caused a reduction in in-plane mechanical properties due to the reduced carbon fiber volume fraction, increased thickness and void formation in the composites.
Keywords
composite structures; crack; fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs); fracture/fracture criteria; delamination; bending and shear strength; axial compression;
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