Thin-ply thermoplastic composites: From weak to robust transverse performance through microstructural and morphological tuning

Abstract

Thin-shell carbon fiber composites have great potential for structures that require large recoverable deformations, high stiffness and low weight, as in deployable space structures, biomedical devices and robotics. Despite being astonishingly flexible in fiber direction, such thin shells are highly sensitive to off-axis loading. This relates to the high manufacturing complexity and sensitivity to imperfections, revealing the need for in-depth understanding and enhancement of their transverse response. This paper provides crucial insights into influencing factors of thin-shell composites’ transverse strength using a highly controllable manufacturing technique to create novel thermoplastic thin-ply (35μm) carbon fiber-PEEK laminas. The effects of fiber type, microstructure and polymer morphology as well as their interactions, are addressed towards a drastic increase in performance. A combination of microstructure tuning and isothermal crystallization can provide thin-shell composites with a more than 150% improved transverse performance compared to the state-of-the-art. The conducted analysis reveals the sensitivity to all related processing conditions and highlights the effect of their accurate control.