Abstract
This study explores the influence of post-weld annealing on friction stir welded (FSW) carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) in woven laminate form. Field advancement occurs in three key areas including furthering the understanding low-melt polyaryletherketone (LMPAEK) welding/processing, effects of post-weld annealing on CFRTP joints, and determining feasibility for friction stir welding (FSW) of thermoplastics reinforced with continuous carbon fibers. High temperature annealing just below LMPAEK’s melting point improved ultimate tensile strength by up to 30% and weld toughness by up to 91%. Improvements to mechanical performance result from increases in joint crystalline content from 14.09% in non-annealed joints to 27.91% in joints subject to 280 ◦C annealing. Annealing does not reduce porosity in the weld zones, rendering necessary further improvements to the FSW process for CFRTP joints. Further analysis also indicates that despite its slight molecular modifications, LMPAEK has highly similar crystalline structure and response to thermal treatment compared to PEEK.
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