Abstract
We have proposed an improved approach to forecasting electrical resistivity of composite materials based on carbon fabrics by using a finite element method that takes into consideration a deformation of the reinforcing material during molding. Electrical characteristics of homogenized reinforcing fibers are determined by using known dependences for unidirectional composites. Based on the developed approach, we calculated values of electrical resistivity of composite materials based on the carbon fabric of twilled weaving and the weft-knitted carbon fabric. To account for a change in the thickness of the weft-knitted carbon fabric during molding, we simulated its deformation under the action of vacuum pressure. The obtained calculated values of electrical resistivity of the examined materials are in good agreement with the results of experimental study. Divergence between the calculated and experimental results for a material based on the carbon fabric of twilled weaving is 10 %. For materials based on the weft-knitted carbon fabric, divergence is 11 % towards the weft and 32 % in the direction of the base of the fabric. Given that the volumetric fiber content in a material from the weft-knitted carbon fabric was determined based on the results of modeling its deformation at molding, as well as the results of similar studies, reliability of the simulation can be considered quite satisfactory. The proposed approach could be applied when choosing a rational scheme for weaving a fabric in order to estimate specific resistivity in the absence of information about volumetric fiber content and the actual structure of the material after its fabrication.
Highlights
Polymeric composite materials based on carbon fabrics of different weaving have been widely used in the aerospace industry
The mentioned approach is used in paper [7] for the prediction of thermal conductivity coefficients of a composite based on the fabric with plain weaving by employing the FEM
In order to predict electrical resistivity of a composite material when choosing a rational scheme for weaving a fabric, it is necessary to devise a method for accounting for the impact of forming pressure on the geometry of a fabric and the volumetric fiber content
Summary
Polymeric composite materials based on carbon fabrics of different weaving have been widely used in the aerospace industry. In terms of indicators for specific strength and stiffness, carbon composites significantly outperform metals, they have substantially lower electrical conductivity. This must be taken into consideration when designing structural elements that may be exposed to direct and indirect effects from a lightning strike. The application of the above methods makes it possible to create multifunctional composite materials that possess the required combination of mechanical, thermal-physical, and electrical characteristics. At present, determining the electrical characteristics of composites is typically based on using experimental methods These methods make it possible to obtain reliable results, but at the same time they are not effective enough when selecting the optimal structure of a composite that requires choosing from a large number of options. It is obvious that the existence of reliable calculation methods will make it possible to deal more effectively with the challenge of creating multifunctional composite materials
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