Development of air-jet textured and twisted carbon fibre–polyamide 6,6 hybrid yarn for the production of thermoplastic composite materials

Abstract

Recently, fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composite materials have been used widely in the automotive and aerospace industries because of their fracture toughness and recycling. Despite such superior properties, these materials have a weak side: high melt viscosity and low thermal resistance. The high melt viscosity of such materials makes the homogeneous wetting process difficult. This property leads to problems with the machinery and equipment at the mass production lines, and thus costs increase. Reinforcing the fibre and matrix mixed in the solid state and consolidating them helps to solve this problem. This creates a new type of semi-finished material for thermoplastic composites - hybrid yarn. The main aim of the current study was to solve the problem with high melt viscosity of thermoplastic composite materials by mixing the reinforcing fibre and matrix in the intermingling and twisting process and consolidating them. Fabricated hybrid yarns can be processed by using different textile surface forming techniques (weaving, knitting, etc.).