Abstract
The introduction of new, advanced composite materials into aviation systems requires a thorough understanding of the long-term effects of combined thermal and mechanical loading on these types of materials. Ultrasonic Lamb waves offer a promising method of evaluating stiffness in composite materials. To help assess the effect of aging, a suitably designed Lamb wave measurement system is being used to obtain bending and out-of-plane stiffness coefficients of composite laminates undergoing thermal-mechanical loading. In this study, a series of 16-ply graphite-fiber-reinforced amorphous thermoplastic polyimide laminates, IM7/K3B, were aged in load frames equipped with special environmental chambers. The samples were subjected to both high and low strain profiles. The bending and out-of-plane shear stiffnesses as well as time-of-flight measurements for samples that have undergone up to 4,993 fatigue cycles of combined thermal and mechanical aging are reported. The Lamb wave generated elastic stiffness results show decreases of up to 20% with extended aging.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
