Mechanical Properties of Aramid Composite as an Alternative in Use of Steel on the Manufacture of CN-235 Aircraft Wings

Abstract

The use of steel in aerospace manufacture continues to decrease, owing in part to the sustainability and mechanical properties of fibers which have higher strength in minimum weight than steel. This study was defined to evaluate the mechanical properties of high-performance fibers, especially aramid, in terms of composite to be part of aircraft' wings called CN-235. The reinforcements were pre-impregnated by the materials manufacturers, under heat and pressure, with a pre-catalysed resin. Then the layering of aramid prepregs was carried with a dry lay-up process and cured in the autoclave at a temperature of 125°C and pressure of 3 bar for 90 minutes. The aramid composite was cured in various grain directions and examined in mechanical tests such as tensile, compression, and interlaminar shear strength tests. The result showed an insignificant difference between 0 and 90 degrees of grain direction in aramid composite in any properties. The strength of aramid composite with 90 degrees of grain direction has a higher value in the compression test (less than 5%) while having lower value in tensile and interlaminar shear tests.