Abstract
In this study, a carbon nanotube (CNT) buckypaper was interleaved in a carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite to improve the interlaminar fracture toughness. Interleaving the film of a laminate-type composite poses the risk of deteriorating the in-plane mechanical properties. Therefore, the in-plane shear modulus and shear strength were measured prior to estimating the interlaminar fracture toughness. To evaluate the effect of the buckypaper on the interlaminar fracture toughness of the CFRP, double cantilever beam (DCB) and end notch flexure (ENF) tests were conducted for mode I and mode II delamination, respectively. No significant change was observed for the in-plane shear modulus due to the buckypaper interleaving and the shear strength decreased by 4%. However, the interlaminar fracture toughness of the CFRP increased significantly. Moreover, the mode II interlaminar fracture toughness of the CFRP increased by 45.9%. Optical micrographs of the cross-section of the CFRPs were obtained to compare the microstructures of the specimens with and without buckypaper interleaving. The fracture surfaces obtained after the DCB and ENF tests were examined using a scanning electron microscope to identify the toughening mechanism of the buckypaper-interleaved CFRP.
Highlights
Carbon-fiber-reinforced composites exhibit excellent strength and stiffness and are gradually replacing existing metal-based materials owing to the development of modern production methods and technologies
Our study demonstrated that the carbon nanotube (CNT) buckypaper improved the mode I and mode II interlaminar fracture toughnesses of carbon fiber composites without damaging the in-plane mechanical properties
We observed a negligible difference in the in-plane shear modulus and strength between the baseline and buckypaper-interleaved specimens
Summary
Carbon-fiber-reinforced composites exhibit excellent strength and stiffness and are gradually replacing existing metal-based materials owing to the development of modern production methods and technologies. Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites exhibit superior properties compared to metal-based materials. CFRP composites are widely used in the automobile, sporting goods, and aerospace industries. Among the composite material fabrication methods, laminated carbon-fiber-reinforced composites are the most important and convenient composite fabrication methods since the development of prepregs and binders. Delamination is the primary mode of failure for laminated polymer composites. Studies on enhancing the resistance to delamination have been undertaken [1,2]. Delamination decreases the stiffness and strength of the composite and is not visible in composite materials until complete failure occurs. It is vital to improve the interlaminar fracture toughness of composite laminates
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