Utilizing vacuum bagging process to prepare carbon fiber/epoxy composites with improved mechanical properties

Abstract

This research paper based on bidirectional carbon fiber/epoxy composites (CF/Ep) shows the effect of fiber architecture on mechanical properties using a hand layup procedure followed by the vacuum bagging process method. The three different fiber architectures T800CF/Ep, T700CF/Ep and T300CF/Ep were chosen for studying the mechanical properties. All composites were fabricated with an equal weight percentage of carbon fiber and a similar consolidation process. The tensile properties, flexural properties, interlaminar shear strength, impact strength and hardness are studied to know how the mechanical response of composite varies with fiber architecture. Testing results showed that the effect of fiber weave architecture is more obvious in CF/Ep composites than in neat epoxy with regard to mechanical properties. Both tensile and flexural properties showed that T800CF/Ep composites have a very good strengthening effect on both tensile load response and bending load response of CF/Ep composites. The fiber architecture has less effect on the density and serious effect on the strength and deformation of CF/Ep composites. Inherent properties and weaves structure of carbon fiber (CF) dictated the performance of composites. Compared to Hand layup method, the Vacuum bagging method showed (2–6)%, (11–15)%, (5–6)%, (15–20)% and (1–3)% improvement in tensile strength, tensile/flexural modulus, ILSS, impact strength and hardness respectively whereas the flexural strength values were almost near to the former values Grunenfelder et al. (2017). The most important developments in the mechanical properties are further assisted by scanning electron microscopy.