Selective reinforcement of an aluminium alloy by adhesive bonding with uniaxially aligned carbon fibre/epoxy composites

Abstract

Aluminium alloy beams selectively reinforced on one or both surfaces with uniaxially aligned continuous carbon fibre-reinforced plastic were tested in flexure. Three manufacturing routes were employed; two of which involved the use of a room temperature curing adhesive and in the third pre-impregnated tapes were hot-pressed directly onto the alloy. Determined stiffness and strengths of the beams were in good agreement with the predictions of strength of materials theory. A 46% increase in stiffness, from 69 to 101 GNm −2, and a 141% increase in yield strength, from 485 to 1170 MNm −2, were obtained, for example, by incorporating 40% of cfrp by volume to make a sandwich beam. Although smaller increases in strength and stiffness result from less reinforcement, only 10% is sufficient to increase fatigue life by a factor of four.