Numerical Investigation of the Magnetic Alignment of Fe-Co-Coated Single Reinforcement Fibers

Abstract

Fiber-reinforced composites are progressively more used in a variety of industrial applications. In recent years, carbon fiber-reinforced plastics have become increasingly popular, particularly in the aerospace sector because they offer outstanding mechanical properties combined with low weight. However, the orientation and distribution of the fibers have a significant effect on the mechanical and physical properties of the composite materials. Using conventional manufacturing technologies, it is not always technologically possible to adjust the fiber orientation to the load direction. One possible approach to targeted fiber alignment is the combination of classical manufacturing processes with a superimposed alignment mechanism so that the fibers can be oriented according to the load during component manufacturing. In this context, the orientation and distribution of short and long fibers through an external magnetic field seem to be well-suited to be integrated into the conventional manufacturing process of fiber-reinforced composites. Therefore, the generally non-magnetic reinforcement fibers, e.g. carbon or glass fibers, need to be modified or coated with magnetic materials. In this paper, carbon fibers coated with an iron-cobalt alloy are prepared by electrodeposition for the validation of simulation models developed in previous studies. Furthermore, numerical studies are presented in regard to the orientation of such fibers in polymeric matrices. Thus, simulative investigations of the orientability of coated carbon fibers in polymeric materials are shown and the works provide an important reference for future studies of fiber orientation and alignment using magnetic fields.