Effect of thermal damage on dynamic and static mechanical properties of CFRP short pulse laser hole cutting

Abstract

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are widely used in the aerospace field because of their outstanding performance. Short pulse laser is an effective means for efficient and high-quality cutting of CFRP. However, the inevitable thermal effect of laser processing results in damage such as heat-affected zone, and the exposed area of fiber loses the ability to transmit force, which weakens the mechanical properties of CFRP. However, the effect of thermal damage on mechanical properties is complex. In this paper, the dynamic and static mechanical behavior of short pulse laser cutting CFRP is studied, and the effect of cutting damage on the mechanical properties is explored. The mechanical properties of CFRP plate hole laser cutting is similar to those of mechanical drilling but are lower than those of material without hole due to the existence of holes. Matrix cracking exists in the tensile fatigue of laser cutting holes, while surface cracks occur in the stress-concentrated area due to the not smooth cutting edge of mechanical drilling. Compared with small laser cutting damage, the tensile and bending strength of the CFRP plate were weakened by 11.5% and 6.2%, respectively. The tensile fatigue crack propagation and fiber protrusion are aggravated by large damage. The damage always starts at both sides of the vertical direction of the hole under 0° laying, resulting in cracks along the fiber axis until fracture. The failure mode and fracture cross-section morphology are mainly fiber tears and delamination, and the section of the 90° laying specimen surface is tidier than that of the 0° laying specimen. The mechanical properties under thermal damage studied in this paper will help to lay a foundation for damage suppression and improvement of material mechanical properties.