Woven Carbon Research Articles

Fatigue life prediction of hybrid carbon-flax-epoxy laminates using progressive failure analysis and cohesive zone model

A 3D progressive fatigue damage model was incorporated into ABAQUS software to predict the fatigue life of hybrid carbon-flax-epoxy composites. A cohesive zone method was employed to simulate delamination damage at carbon/flax interface. To evaluate the accuracy of the finite element model, two different layups, namely, unidirectional [0–90C2/0 F6]S (UD) and angle-ply [0–90C2/(±45) F6]S (AP), consisting of 12 flax fibers layers (F) sandwiched between four woven carbon fibers layers (C) were created using hand lay-up technique and then placed in compression molding. There is a good agreement between experimental and predicted fatigue life. It was observed that the predicted fatigue life is reduced by about 14% by changing the void content from 0.38% to 3.83%. The finite element analysis revealed that the matrix in the flax region of the AP layup failed at 12% of fatigue life, followed by delamination at the carbon/flax interface, consistent with SEM results.

Investigating the Effect of Carbon Nanotubes Decorated SmVO4-MoS2 Nanocomposite for Energy Storage Enhancement via VARTM-Fabricated Solid-State Structural Supercapacitors Using Woven Carbon Fiber.

Traditional supercapacitors are cumbersome and need separate enclosures, which add weight and reduce space efficiency. In contrast, structural supercapacitors combine energy storage with load-bearing materials, optimizing space and weight for automotive and aerospace applications. This study investigates the synthesis of SmVO4-MoS2 and SmVO4-MoS2-CNT nanocomposites, focusing on optimizing CNT concentration in SmVO4-MoS2-CNT for high-performance supercapacitors. The optimal concentration of SmVO4-MoS2-CNT is identified and used to fabricate structural supercapacitor devices via the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) technique. The results indicate that the specific capacitance of Sm-Mo-C5, using a three-electrode system, reached 1.01Fcm-2 at a current density of 2.187mAcm-2. The performance improvement is attributed to the synergistic interaction among SmVO4, MoS2, and CNTs, collectively enhancing conductivity and active site availability. The practical application of this study is demonstrated by synthesizing Sm-Mo-C5 on woven carbon fiber (WCF) and subsequently fabricating a structural supercapacitor device (SSD) using the VARTM. The SSD, produced via VARTM, exhibited a specific capacitance of 0.287Fcm- 2 at a current density of 2Acm-2. The device showcased exceptional cyclic stability, maintaining 72.5% of its initial capacitance after 50,000 charge-discharge cycles. Additionally, it achieved a maximum energy density of 79.86Whkg-1 at a power density of 1017.69Wkg-1.

Mixed Mode‐I/II interlaminar fracture toughness Characterization of woven Carbon–Kevlar interyarn hybrid textile composites

AbstractIn actual service conditions, the composite structures are subjected to the combined effect of Mode‐I and Mode‐II loadings. It has great significance in the aerospace, defense, military, automobile, and marine sectors. This study aims to determine the Mixed Mode‐I/II interlaminar fracture toughness (ILFT) of plain and twill woven carbon, Kevlar monolithic, and interyarn hybrid textile composites under several hybridization schemes. The tailored properties are obtained using the interyarn hybridization of high stiff carbon yarn and high tough Kevlar yarn. The effect of individual yarn in the length direction in different hybrid composite laminates is carefully investigated. The Mixed Mode‐I/II ILFT characterization is experimentally performed using a mixed mode bending (MMB) test specimen on the Instron 8862 system under 45%, 55%, and 65% Mixed Mode ratios (MMRs). The increase in mode mixture percentage decreases the lever length, increases the load‐bearing capacity, and increases the Mixed Mode‐I/II ILFT of the MMB test specimen. Plain woven composites exhibited a higher ILFT than twill woven textile composites. The plain woven carbon–Kevlar hybrid composite laminate with carbon yarn‐in‐length direction shows the highest Mixed Mode‐I/II ILFT after CP laminates. Hybridization significantly increases the Mixed Mode‐I/II ILFT compared to monolithic Kevlar fabric‐reinforced composites. Moreover, the failure mechanisms are investigated using scanning electron microscopy.Highlights Mixed Mode‐I/II ILFT of carbon–Kevlar interyarn hybrid textile composites. ILFT at nonlinearity (NL), VIS, and 5%/Max load points for 45%, 55%, and 65% MMR. Advantage of placing carbon yarn‐in‐length direction in hybrid configurations. Effect of carbon–Kevlar interyarn hybridization on Mixed Mode‐I/II ILFT. Fractography of tested specimens to investigate several failure mechanisms.

Coupled thermal-electrical–mechanical characteristics of lightning damage in woven composite honeycomb sandwich structures

In this study, lightning strike damage of woven carbon fibre-reinforced polymer laminates (W-CFRPs) and woven composite honeycomb sandwich panels (W-CHSPs) are simulated using the proposed sequential thermal-electrical–mechanical finite element (FE) coupling model incorporating dielectric breakdown of materials. Surface current with an amplitude of 200 kA and corresponding lightning shockwave overpressure were applied on each composite. The FE model coupled with LaRC05 criterion was used to study the failure behaviours of intralaminar damage and interlaminar delamination of the W-CFRPs and W-CHSPs. A series of lightning strike tests were performed to validate the FE model. Detailed lightning damage assessments and mechanisms were characterized by a combination of visual inspection, image processing, ultrasonic scanning and micro computed tomography (Micro-CT) and showed good agreements with the FE-predicted results. It can be concluded that shockwave overpressure significantly impacts lightning-induced damages, thereby supporting the effectiveness of the newly proposed sequential thermal-electrical–mechanical coupling model, which demonstrates improved predictive accuracy.

An experimental study of ultrasonic-knife cutting for a woven carbon fiber preform by an industrial robot

This study investigates the effect of the cutting process parameters on the cutting forces and the quality parameters of a woven carbon fiber preform during robotic ultrasonic-knife cutting. An ultrasonic cutting device, with a power of 1200 W, a frequency of 24 kHz, and an amplitude of 60 µm, mounted on the end effector of a six-axis degree of freedom industrial robot to make linear cuts. A three-level factorial experimental design was used to examine the effect of the feed rate (1 m/min to 5 m/min) and the knife’s attack angle (45° to 75°) on the cutting forces, the dimensional accuracy of the machined preform coupons, and the damage on the machined preform edges. The cutting force analysis results show that the increasing feed rate resulted in increasing feed force and thrust force. However, the increase of the attack angle increases the feed force but decreases the thrust force. The average width and damage of the ultrasonic knife cut preform coupons are highly related to the process conditions. The combination of the low feed rate, 1 m/min, and the low attack angle, 45°, resulted in dimensional errors ranging from 253 μm to 365 μm oversized from the programmed 15.0 mm width with no damage. When the feed became 3 m/min and 5 m/min at the attack angle of 75°, the preform coupons’ dimensional accuracy and damage formation worsened. In these conditions, the ultrasonic knife attached to the industrial robot arm could not cut the preform plate effectively, so the tows on the preform were unevenly cut or dislodged.

Experimental investigations regarding the anisotropic properties of pre-impregnated woven carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy resin

Abstract In this work, the variation of the stiffness and strength with the weave pattern orientation of a twill carbon fibre weave pre-impregnated system was investigated. Singe-ply sheets were manufactured using vacuum-assisted curing at a temperature of 120 °C for 8 hours. Specimens were cut at 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75° and 90° respectively, and subjected to tensile tests at room temperature, using a 5mm/min crosshead travel speed. The results show a symmetric variation along the 45° angle, the obtained stiffness values being between 8.53 GPa (at 45°) and around 59 GPa (at 0° and 90°), while the strength varied between 76 MPa (at 45°) and around 700 MPa (at 0° and 90°). In addition, it was observed that specimens oriented at 0° and 90° exhibited a brittle behaviour while the rest where characterized by ductile failure with significant plastic deformations.

EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF STITCHING PROCESS ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THREE- DIMENSIONAL (3D) STITCHED UNIDIRECTIONAL COMPOSITES

The stitching process has obvious effects on the out- of- plane mechanical properties of composites such as impact damage mechanism or impact energy absorption. However, the effects on the in- plane mechanical properties of composites have been under discussion and need to be clarified. In the previous studies, tensile, shear and bending behaviors of 3D stitched biaxial woven carbon composite were investigated. The unidirectional carbon woven fabrics constitute the significant part of raw materials in the composite industry. For this reason, the research study was expanded to examine the in- plane mechanics of 3D stitched unidirectional carbon woven composites. In this study, the unstitched and 3D stitched unidirectional woven carbon composites were manufactured and tested under the shear, tensile and bending loads. While the stitching process improved the tensile and shear modulus of composite, it could not create the significant difference in the bending behavior. The highest module and maximum stress values were obtained in the tensile test. The bending and shear test results follow them, respectively. Moreover, it was proven that the fabric architecture of stitched composite layer has the substantial effect on the tensile properties of 3D stitched composite.

Repairability of rubber-backed vitrimer composites under variations of impact damage

This study evaluates the effectiveness of rapid heat pressing repair on composites made of vitrimer matrix, a reshapable and recyclable polymer, subjected to varying degrees of impact damage. Two types of composites were fabricated for impact testing: randomly oriented glass fiber reinforced vitrimers (GFRV) and woven carbon fiber reinforced vitrimers (CFRV). Izod pendulum impact tests were conducted on samples along both the thickness and width. Impacts with varying energy levels were applied to induce different degrees of damage, allowing for the assessment of impact strength degradation and repair effectiveness. Additionally, a rubber adhesive layer was applied to the back of composites to quantitatively measure the increase in energy absorption and its effect on repair performance. The findings demonstrate the potential of rapid heat pressing repair in restoring the mechanical integrity of vitrimer composites and highlight the influence of a rubber adhesive layer in enhancing energy absorption and repair efficacy.

Multifunctional hybrid composites from novel asphaltene-based carbon nanofiber mats and woven carbon fiber

Multifunctional hybrid composites from novel asphaltene-based carbon nanofiber mats and woven carbon fiber

Effects of high temperature and strain rate on the impact-induced inter-laminar shear behavior of plain woven CF/PEEK thermoplastic composites

This paper aims to investigate the interlaminar shear properties and failure mechanisms of plain woven carbon fabric/polyetheretherketone (CF/PEEK) thermoplastic composites under high strain rate impact loads at different temperatures (25°C, 120°C, 295°C). A reliable hot air flow heating method with SHPB is creatively employed for short beam shear experiments. A multi-scale model was developed to predict the impact behavior of plain CF/PEEK composites. Both results show that the thermoplastic composites have strong strain rate and temperature dependence, and which are more sensitive to temperature effect. As the temperature increases, the thermoplastic composites are mainly affected by the softening effect of the matrix due to the glass transition temperature. The shear modulus and peak stress appear to decline at high temperatures, while the failure strain tends to increase. The damage mode changes from interlayer delamination cracking at the glassy state to shear fracture and fiber pullout at a highly elastic state. As the strain rate increases, the failure strain decreases, while the shear modulus and peak stress show the opposite trend. Fiber bundle breakage, debonding, matrix cracking, and significant interlayer delamination occur at high strain rates.

Comparison of single- and hybrid-fiber composite laminates for use in prosthetic sockets

Traditional prosthetic sockets often consist of thermoplastic and wood-based materials. However, these sockets are known to be uncomfortable, heavy, and economically challenging. Natural fibers are quickly adapting and becoming more popular because of their biodegradable, long-lasting, and biocompatible nature. They are replacing synthetic fibers in the design and development of structural parts. This research looked into a new hybrid composite made of natural and synthetic fibers (basalt, jute, and carbon) that are reinforced in a polyester thermoset based matrix. The performance of this hybrid composite was then compared to that of pristine or single fiber-reinforced composites manufactured using woven jute, basalt, and carbon. The samples were manufactured using the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding technique and cured at room temperature. The samples were then subjected to flexure and impact tests. The hybrid composite had an impact strength of 46.71 kJ/m2, higher than all other single fiber combinations. The flexural strength of the hybrid composite was determined to be 66.25 MPa, matching that of basalt fiber and surpassing that of other conventional single fiber composite laminates. Fractographic analysis has revealed that the main cause of failure in flexure is mostly attributed to delamination and fiber micro-buckling. Although hybrid reinforced composites had superior performance in terms of both impact and flexure strength, basalt fibers demonstrated comparable strength, specifically in flexure. Overall, the hybrid composite possesses exceptional promise for use in prosthetic construction.

Self-healing carbon fiber/epoxy laminates with particulate interlayers of a low-melting-point alloy

In order to prolong the service life of fiber-reinforced polymer composites, the implementation of self-healing ability with the micro-encapsulated healing agent has been extensively studied. However, such microcapsule-based self-healing composites typically suffer from degraded mechanical properties due to the liquid-phase inclusions, thereby limiting their proliferation. Here, a low-melting-point alloy is utilized as the particulate inclusions of carbon fiber/epoxy laminated composites. Field's Metal particles (melting point: 62 °C) are distributed between woven carbon fiber preforms followed by the resin impregnation to realize laminated composites with a Field's Metal-enhanced interlayer(s). The resulting laminated composites demonstrate the autonomic repair of interlaminar failure with a 40 % of healing efficiency. Most of all, the mechanical properties of these self-healing laminated composites are comparable to the conventional laminated composites attributed to the rigid inclusions that can be compressed to increase the fiber volume. Since the Field's Metal particle inclusions can bestow polymer composites with self-healing ability and the potential increase in mechanical properties, Field's Metal-enhanced fiber-reinforced polymer composites are expected to unlock the practical utility of self-healing composites.

Effects of Thermoforming Parameters on Woven Carbon Fiber Thermoplastic Composites.

The quality of woven carbon fiber fabric/polycarbonate thermoplastic composites after thermoforming and demolding was investigated using finite element simulation and the Taguchi orthogonal array. The simulation utilized a discrete approach with a micro-mechanical model to describe the deformation of woven carbon fabric, combined with a resin model. This simulation was validated with bias extension tests at five temperatures. The thermoforming process parameters considered were blank temperature, mold temperature, and blank holding pressure, with three levels for each factor. Optimal values for the fiber-enclosed angle, spring-back angle, mold shape fitness, and the strain of the U-shaped workpiece were desired. The results indicated that the comparison of the stress-displacement curve of bias extension tests verified the application of the discrete finite element method. Results from the Taguchi array indicated that blank holding pressure was the dominant parameter, with the optimal value being 1.18 kPa. Blank temperature was the second most significant factor, effective in the range of 160 °C to 230 °C, while mold temperature had a minor effect. Furthermore, the four quality values are dependent and have a similar trend. The best combination was identified as a blank holding press of 1.18 kPa, a blank temperature of 230 °C, and a mold temperature of 190 °C.

On sensitivity analysis of the fundamental frequency of cracked fiber metal laminated (FML) beams using experimental survey and finite element method

PurposeIn this research, the free vibration sensitivity analysis of cracked fiber metal laminated (FML) beams is investigated numerically and experimentally. The effects of single and double cracks on the frequency of the cantilever beams are simulated using the finite element method (FEM) and compared to the experimental results.Design/methodology/approachIn FEM analysis, the crack defect is simulated by the contour integral technique without considering the crack growth. The specimens are fabricated with an aluminum sheet, woven carbon fiber and epoxy resin. The FML specimens are constructed by bonding five layers as [carbon fiber-epoxy/Al/carbon fiber-epoxy/Al/carbon fiber-epoxy]. First, the location and length of cracks are considered input factors for the frequency sensitivity analysis. Then, the design of the experiment is produced in the cases of single and double cracks to compute the frequency of the beams in the first and second modes using the FEM. The mechanical shaker is used to determine the natural frequency of the specimens. In addition, the predicted response values of the frequency for the beam are used to compare with the experimental results.FindingsConsequently, the results of the sensitivity analysis demonstrate that the location and length of the crack have significant effects on the modes.Originality/valueEffective interaction diagrams are introduced to investigate crack detection for input factors, including the location and length of cracks in the cases of single and double cracks.

An experimental investigation of nano clay and functionalized nano graphene oxide effects on ablation of carbon/phenolic nanocomposites

This work aims to study thermal stability and ablative behaviors of Carbon/Phenolic composites containing nano clay, nano graphene oxide and hybrid additives. To this end a detailed explained and illustrated process is involved to synthesize factionalized graphene oxide based on Hummers method. The XRD test result shows a major shift in basal plane reflection to below 2θ = 20° in the provided spectrum, which indicates achievement in the functionalization process. Prepared nanoparticles suspensions are then mixed by resol resin with desire wt% to outcome nanocomposites. An in-depth analysis of SEM images with focus on the dispersion, morphology, and interaction of the nanofillers with the resin matrix reveals that nanoparticles are dispersed properly with no agglomeration. 200 gr/m2 carbon woven fabric is then impregnated with prepared nanocomposites employing an own made prepreg machine to use to construct standard flexural as well as oxy acetylene test specimens. Using bending test, thermogravimetric analysis and oxyacetylene torch test, effects of different percentages of considered nanoparticles on the mechanical properties, thermal stability and ablative of carbon/phenolic composites are assessed and the results are reported. According to the results, adding only 0.1 wt% of nano graphene oxide increases char yield around 5% and remain back surface temperature under 100°C during flame test. Moreover samples with 0.2 wt% of nano clay and hybrid (0.05 wt% nano graphene oxide and 0.1 wt% nano clay) additives provides best reaming amount of solid.

Multiscale modeling for viscoelasticity of woven CFRP considering preforming and curing effects via finite element and long-short term memory analysis

The constitutional model is crucial to model the complex response of woven carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) during curing. This study developed a multiscale modeling method to describe the viscoelastic behavior of preformed woven CFRP parts during curing. The essence of the viscoelastic modeling lies in the stiffness matrix, which was predicted via the long-short term memory (LSTM) model. A library of viscoelastic stiffness components for the LSTM model was created through finite element method (FEM) on mesoscopic representation volume elements (RVEs). Specifically, FEM models for RVEs with different configurations were established first, and then utilized for virtual relaxation tests to build the stiffness component library for the woven CFRP. Afterwards, the LSTM model was embedded into the material model for FEM at the part-level. Finally, the prediction accuracy of the multiscale modeling method for viscoelasticity of the woven CFRP samples was validated by experiments with the average error of 6.62%.

Nanostructured Transition Metal Oxides on Carbon Fibers for Supercapacitor and Li-Ion Battery Electrodes: An Overview.

Nowadays, owing to the new technological and industrial requirements for equipment, such as flexibility or multifunctionally, the development of all-solid-state supercapacitors and Li-ion batteries has become a goal for researchers. For these purposes, the composite material approach has been widely proposed due to the promising features of woven carbon fiber as a substrate material for this type of material. Carbon fiber displays excellent mechanical properties, flexibility, and high electrical conductivity, allowing it to act as a substrate and a collector at the same time. However, carbon fiber's energy-storage capability is limited. Several coatings have been proposed for this, with nanostructured transition metal oxides being one of the most popular due to their high theoretical capacity and surface area. In this overview, the main techniques used to achieve these coatings-such as solvothermal synthesis, MOF-derived obtention, and electrochemical deposition-are summarized, as well as the main strategies for alleviating the low electrical conductivity of transition metal oxides, which is the main drawback of these materials.

Tuning interfacial mechanical properties of Ti/CFRP laminates using customized intercalation of woven metallic fabrics

Improving the interlaminar fracture toughness of fiber metal laminates comprising titanium alloy (Ti) and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) holds considerable significance for their diverse applications. Here, an innovative and scalable strategy was developed to enhance the interfacial adhesion of Ti/CFRP hybrid laminates, which was achieved by introducing customized woven metallic fabrics to construct a heterogeneous interface through a simple and cost-effective spot welding method. Interestingly, it was found that the interlaminar mechanical performance and failure mode transition from snap-down instability to progressive softening behavior could be precisely tuned by adjusting the distribution configurations of the welded spots. The results demonstrated substantial improvements in interlaminar fracture energies with the implementation of customized intercalation. Specifically, mode I initiation and propagation were enhanced by approximately 276% and 144%, respectively, while mode II initiation improved by approximately 242%. These improvements were attributed to the activation of new dissipative mechanisms, including interfacial topological texture interlocking, adhesive failure, multiphase bridging (involving woven metallic fabric, welded spots and carbon fiber), as well as cross-layer migration of the interlaminar cracks. The use of customized intercalation thus proves to be a promising strategy for constructing heterogeneous interface and offers valuable insights into the interlaminar design for hybrid structures.

Carbon fiber fabrics functionalized with monoclinic CuO nanostructures using seed-assisted hydrothermal growth treatment

The woven carbon fibers (WCF) fabrics were functionalized by growing copper-oxide (CuO) nanostructures using Seed-assisted hydrothermal technique. The effective growth of CuO on surface hydrolyzed WCF samples were achieved by seeding followed by growth treatment in the prepared precursor solution. The impact of hydrothermal process parameters such as number of seeding cycles, duration of growth treatment and molar concentration of growth solution were studied by performing 96 set of experiments with three repetitions. In this work detailed analysis of structural, morphological, and elemental attributes of the CuO-coated WCF fabrics samples have been done. The WCF fabrics were uniformly coated with monoclinic CuO nanostructures having nanopellets, nanoflakes, nanowires, and nanoflowers morphologies. Different characterization techniques such as field emission scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy and thermo-gravimetric analyzer were used to study different attributes of CuO-modified WCF samples. The number of seeding treatments and the length of growth treatment had a significant impact on growth of CuO nanostructures on WCF. The detailed analysis exhibits that the developed CuO-modified WCF samples may enhance interfacial surface area, bonding capacity and reduce void content by allowing nanostructures to cross-link together and with polymer matrix while fabricating composite materials.

Impact of Air-Cathodes on Operational Stability of Single-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell Biosensors for Wastewater Monitoring

The increasing global water pollution leads to the need for urgent development of rapid and accurate water quality monitoring methods. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have emerged as real-time biosensors for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), but they grapple with several challenges, including issues related to reproducibility, operational stability, and cost-effectiveness. These challenges are substantially shaped by the selection of an appropriate air-breathing cathode. Previous studies indicated a critical influence of the cathode on both the enduring electrochemical performance of MFCs and the taxonomic diversity at the electroactive anode. However, the effect of different gas diffusion electrodes (GDE) on 3D-printed single-chamber MFCs for BOD biosensing application and its effect on the bioelectroactive anode was not investigated before. Our study focuses on comparing GDE cathode materials to enhance MFC performance for precise and rapid BOD analysis in wastewater. We examined for over 120 days two Pt-coated air-breathing cathodes with distinct carbonaceous gas diffusion layers (GDLs) and catalyst layers (CLs): cost-effective carbon paper (CP) with hand-coated CL and more expensive woven carbon cloth (CC) with CL pre-applied by the supplier. The results show significant differences in electrochemical characteristics and anodic biofilm composition between MFCs with CP and CC GDE cathodes. CP-MFCs exhibited lower sensitivity (16.6 C L mg−1 m−2) and a narrower dynamic range (25 to 600 mg L−1), attributed to biofouling-related degradation of the GDE. In contrast, CC-MFCs demonstrated superior performance with higher sensitivity (37.6 C L mg−1 m−2) and a broader dynamic range (25 to 800 mg L−1). In conclusion, our study underscores the pivotal role of cathode selection in 3D-printed MFC biosensors, influencing anodic biofilm enrichment time and overall BOD assessment performance. We recommend the use of cost-effective CP GDL with hand-coated CL for short-term MFC biosensor applications, while advocating for CC GDL supplied with CL as the preferred choice for long-term sensing implementations with enduring reliability.