Woven Fiber Research Articles

Experimental Investigation of Influence of Fibre Orientation on the Dynamic Properties of Carbon Fibre and Intra-Ply Woven Carbon-Kevlar/Epoxy Hybrid Composite

Composite materials are popular substitutes for conventional materials owing to their high strength-to-weight ratio. Reinforcements in the form of woven fabric clothes are common due to their ease of availability and preparation. The use of hybrid intra-ply as reinforcements synergises the advantages of more than one type of fibre. The current work focuses on the preparation of woven carbon fibre (CF) and carbon–Kevlar (CF-K) intra-ply hybrid fibre-based composites. Epoxy resin was used as the matrix and balsa sheet was used as the sandwich material. The angle of orientation of the woven fibre cloth was varied from 0° to 45° along the direction of loading. The dynamic properties of prepared samples were experimentally investigated using an impact hammer test. The natural frequency and damping ratio were influenced by the angle of orientation and the fibre reinforcement. The CF-K hybrid composite showed better dynamic properties when compared with the CF composite. The natural frequency was highest for the 0° sample, it reduced with the angle of orientation, and a reverse trend was observed for damping ratio. Both CF- and CF-K-based composites showed similar trends. The storage modulus variation also showed a similar trend as that of the natural frequency for both types of samples with orientation, but a reverse trend was observed for loss modulus, i.e., the loss modulus increased with the change in the angle of orientation, indicating the improvement in energy storage ability of the composite.

A novel core-shell C/SiC bolt prepared by chemical vapor infiltration and its fiber strengthening mechanisms

Integrated manufacturing techniques have been extensively utilized to assemble thermal structural components made of continuous fiber reinforced silicon carbide composites (C/SiC) to fabricate large and complex components. The mechanical joint, always in terms of C/SiC bolts, become the weakest link in the components. Laminated C/SiC bolts have been invented to meet the requirements of the high temperature applications. Due to the low shear strengths of C/SiC, the threads are prone to be damaged. In order to fully employ the high tensile strength of carbon fibers, core-shell C/SiC bolt is proposed with the shell prepared by woven fiber architecture. Uniform circumferential microstructure of the threaded teeth has been obtained and the corresponding strength has been improved through fiber bridging mechanism. The results shows that the thread pull-off strength is 17.96% greater than that of the laminated thread tooth, and the stud tensile strength is slightly improved up to 2.96%. The stud shear strength is enhanced by 45.29% and 46.88% with unidirectional C/SiC rod and ZrO2 ceramic rod, respectively. The improvements are mainly caused by the fiber tension-shear coupling effects. Especially the introduction of unidirectional C/SiC rod improves the shear strength of the bolts by fully utilizing the fiber strengthening mechanisms under in-plane shear loading.

A concerted experimental and numerical approach for frequency based non-destructive analysis of Bi-directional cracked laminated composite beams

ABSTRACT The effects of single and multiple transverse open cracks on the dynamic properties of woven fibre laminated composite beam (LCB) under free vibration by experimental and numerical approaches are explored in this research work. The experimental modal testing is performed n laminated glass/epoxy composite beams using vibration Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) analyser system. The finite element simulation software ABAQUS is used as the platform for numerical modal analysis to arrive at the natural frequencies. Within the test domain of modal analysis, the simulated results are finely agreed with the empirical test results. The effects of crack location, relative crack depth, boundary conditions and fibre orientations on the modal frequency of the cracked LCB are explored under free vibration. The results of the study conclude that the maximum decrease in frequencies is observed for 0° ply oriented single and multi-cracked LCB. Furthermore, the results elicit that the presence of crack positioned nearer to the restrained end exhibits more reduction in vibration frequencies for any particular crack depth. Within the frequency domain, the present research approach can be employed as an effective tool for the detection and analysis of crack or crack-like defects in LCB structures in any applied field of engineering.

Effect of temperature and moisture composite environments on the mechanical properties and mechanisms of woven carbon fiber composites

AbstractTemperature and moisture are important environmental conditions governing the usage of carbon fiber‐reinforced plastics (CFRP). In this study, tensile, compression, and shear tests of woven CFRP composites were conducted in four composite environments: cold‐temperature dry state, room‐temperature dry state, elevated‐temperature dry state, and elevated‐temperature wet state. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to analyze the molecular composition and structure under these environments. The fracture morphology was also analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to understand the deterioration mechanism of the material properties at the macro and micro scales. Finally, a two‐parameter Weibull statistical model was used to evaluate the scattering of the composites. The results demonstrate that the tensile, compressive, and shear properties of the material decrease under harsh conditions, and the degradation effect on the ultimate strength is much greater than that of the modulus. Cold‐temperature dry and elevated‐temperature wet conditions are particularly severe. Composite environments significantly affect the macroscopic failure process and ultimate failure mode of materials. In general, the temperature and humidity of the matrix system acts at the core of the deterioration mechanism of composites, affecting the properties of the fiber/matrix and orthogonal woven fiber interfaces, and eventually resulting in a loss of their constitutive strength and bearing capacity. The theoretical ultimate strength were consistent with the experimental values.Highlights Comprehensive mechanical property testing in multiple composite environments. Degradation mechanisms were revealed from multiscale morphology analysis. Scattering of composites were evaluated using statistical analyses. Cold temperature dry and elevated temperature wet were the worst states. Deterioration effect of environment on matrix and interface is the core failure mechanism.

Experimental investigation of the effect of e‐waste fillers on the mechanical properties of Kenaf woven fiber composites

AbstractElectronic waste is one of the environmental issues that is worsening rapidly around the globe and is of particular concern to developing nations. A significant quantity of e‐waste is dumped in landfills without regard for the recycling process, which has a potentially adverse impact on the global ecosystem. In this work, waste printed circuit boards (WPCB) and cassette discs (CD) are grinded into powder form and used as fillers with lignocellulosic kenaf woven fabric blended with epoxy resin. Fabrication is carried out by hand lay‐up techniques assisted by vacuum bagging. Laminates are made with different proportions of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of e‐waste filler by weight percentage of kenaf fabric. Mechanical, water absorption, and surface roughness tests were carried out. The result shows that a 5% addition of waste printed circuit board filler and a 10% addition of waste cassette disc (WCD) filler gave better results. In comparison, waste printed circuit board filler laminates show higher strength than waste cassette disc filler laminates. Experimental results indicate that e‐waste filler can be reinforced with lignocellulosic biomass fiber composites and better used for domestic and industrial applications instead of being dumped into landfills, which causes environmental and health hazards.

Braiding, twisting, and weaving microscale fibers with capillary forces.

Soft materials made from braided or woven microscale fibers can display unique properties that can be exploited in electromagnetic, mechanical, and biomedical applications. These properties depend on the topology of the braids or weaves-that is, the order in which fibers cross one another. Current industrial braiding and weaving machines cannot easily braid or weave micrometer-scale fibers into controllable topologies; they typically apply forces that are large enough to break the fibers, and each machine can typically make only one topology. Here we use a 3D-printed device called a "capillary machine" to manipulate micrometer-scale fibers without breaking them. The operating principle is the physics of capillary forces: as the machines move vertically, they exert lateral capillary forces on floating objects, which in turn move small fibers connected to them. We present a new type of capillary machine that is based on principles of braid theory. It implements all the possible fiber-swapping operations for a set of four fibers and can therefore make any four-strand topology, including braids, twists, hierarchical twists, and weaves. We make these different topologies by changing the pattern of vertical motion of the machine. This approach is a mechanically simple, yet versatile way to make micro- and nano-textiles. We describe the prospects and limitations of this new type of machine for applications.

Artificial Neural Network-based fatigue behavior prediction of metals and composite materials

This article presents a study devoted to predicting the fatigue behavior of two different materials: aluminum alloy AL-2024-T6 and glass fiber composite samples. The approach used in the study involves the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to develop accurate models for predicting the fatigue life of these materials at various skewness ratios (R). For the first case study, the S-N curve of tensile-tested AL-2024-T6 was predicted for different values of R using a few sets of data for learning. The model was then tested on the same values of R as the learning set, as well as on a different value of R (-0.4), to demonstrate the ability of the model to predict fatigue data under varying conditions. The results showed that the model was capable of accurately predicting the fatigue life of AL-2024-T6 for different values of R. For the second case study, the stiffness degradation of bending-tested glass fiber woven composite samples was predicted for different values of R using ANN. Different layups of composite samples were considered in this study. The model was trained on a few sets of data and tested on the same and different values of R, demonstrating the ability of the model to accurately predict stiffness degradation of composite samples under varying coefficients of asymmetry. The results of both case studies showed that ANN-based models can be effective in predicting the fatigue behavior of different materials tested using different methods under varying coefficients of asymmetry. These findings have practical implications for industries involved in the design and manufacturing of materials, particularly in the aerospace and automotive sectors, where fatigue behavior is critical to the structural integrity of components.

Automatic defect detection of carbon fiber woven fabrics using machine vision

In the context of defect detection during the preform preparation stage in carbon fiber composite liquid molding processes, this study proposed three machine vision-based automatic detection methods, i.e. Gabor filter-assisted detection (GFAD), morphological processing-assisted detection (MPAD), and integral image-assisted detection (IIAD). These methods were evaluated on carbon fiber fabric images containing nine different types of defects, considering four evaluation aspects. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of these three methods in defect detection. Among them, the best-performing method achieved a detection accuracy of over 90% for defect sizes and a recognition rate of 98% for defects.

Effects on hybridization of interlayer composites and self-reinforced polypropylene

In recent years, there has been increasing attention to develop a high-strength, lightweight composite as a potential substitution for conventional materials in various sectors, whereby most studies have focused on the mechanical performances of fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) such as carbon, glass and aramid. In contrast, the hybrid composites are less common, though are viewed to have substantial potential in terms of flexibility and capability to merge the benefits of different composites. In this study, five composite designs consisting of several types of woven fibres and self-reinforced polypropylene (SRPP) sheets have been fabricated using the hand lay-up procedure. Several designs are arranged based on the interlayer hybridization mode. The static mechanical properties of the composite designs were examined through the standard tensile and three-point flexural tests. The outcomes attained from the experimental works revealed that carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) produced the best tensile characteristics. The CFRP structure displayed 46% higher tensile strength and a 33% greater elastic modulus compared to the CAFRP specimen. Meanwhile, hybrid carbon/aramid fibre-reinforced plastic (CAFRP) pointedly enhanced flexural properties in comparison with single type and other hybrid composites, whereby CAFRP structure outperformed the CFRP structure, exhibiting superior results with variations of 50% and 19% in flexural strength and modulus, respectively. Though the inclusion of SRPP layers in-between the hybrid setup exhibited a decrease in both tensile and flexural strength, but improved the total strain level. The evidence from this study suggests that FRP composites indicate structures of high strength and stiffness but low elongation, whereas SRPP-based composites improve toughness but reduce stiffness characteristics.

Study on the ablation performance of SiC-coated high thermal conductivity three-dimensional C/C composites

Carbon/carbon composites were prepared by densifying a three-dimensional preform made of mesophase pitch-based carbon fiber woven fabric lamination and PAN-based carbon fiber z-pin. Afterwards, SiC coating was prepared on them by pack cementation, and their ablation performances were investigated. Results show that the stacked of pitch-based carbon fiber woven fabrics in Z direction induces a high thermal conductivity of composites in in-plane direction and a sawtooth-structured surface of SiC coating, which helps to decrease the surface temperature (from 1778 to 1614 ℃) and the thermal stress of coating during ablation. Thus, a greatly improved ablation resistance is obtained for the coating in the X-Z plane, showing a mass ablation rate of − 0.01 mg/s and a linear ablation rate of − 0.12 µm/s, respectively, 90.9% and 105.2% lower than that of the X-Y plane. Our findings can provide a meaningful way for the development of high-performance ablation-resistant C/C composites.

Hybridization Effect on Interlaminar Bond Strength, Flexural Properties, and Hardness of Carbon-Flax Fiber Thermoplastic Bio-Composites.

Hybridizing carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers with natural fibers could be a solution to prevent delamination and improve the out-of-plane properties of laminated composites. Delamination is one of the initial damage modes in composite laminates, attributed to relatively poor interlaminar mechanical properties, e.g., low interlaminar strength and fracture toughness. This study examined the interlaminar bond strength, flexural properties, and hardness of carbon/flax/polyamide hybrid bio-composites using peel adhesion, three-point bending, and macro-hardness tests, respectively. In this regard, interlayer hybrid laminates were produced with a sandwich fiber hybrid mode, using woven carbon fiber plies (C) as the outer layers and woven flax fiber plies (F) as the inner ones (CFFC) in combination with a bio-based thermoplastic polyamide 11 matrix. In addition, non-hybrid carbon and flax fiber composites with the same matrix were produced as reference laminates to investigate the hybridization effects. The results revealed the advantages of hybridization in terms of flexural properties, including a 212% higher modulus and a 265% higher strength compared to pure flax composites and a 34% higher failure strain compared to pure carbon composites. Additionally, the hybrid composites exhibited a positive hybridization effect in terms of peeling strength, demonstrating a 27% improvement compared to the pure carbon composites. These results provide valuable insights into the mechanical performance of woven carbon-flax hybrid bio-composites, suggesting potential applications in the automotive and construction industries.

Low Loss/Low CTE Semiconductor Carrier Packaging Thin Core Material

There is an ever-increasing need by semiconductor/packaging companies for the introduction of a low loss, ultra-low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion chip carrier packaging substrate core material that provides a cost-effective method for producing thin core build up with very dense core vias. This low loss, low CTE flip-chip substrate core is well suited to multi-layer, RF, and applications requiring a system-in-package approach. This paper discusses a novel substrate core material using a build-up film dielectric layer in conjunction with glass fiber weave. Key properties include low loss (Df<0.002), a CTE from 5 - 10 ppm/C, extremely high thermal reliability, and low modulus. An advantage of using glass fiber weave instead of Invar, for instance, is the extremely low CTE that can be achieved while still maintaining a non-conductive power or ground plane. Multilayer circuits using PTFE can suffer from extremely high lamination temperatures, high cost, and low overall yields due to the inability of the soft material to go through a desmear process. Substrate core materials have the primary benefit that they offer stability and increased reliability of many subsequent build-up microvia layers. As monolithic semiconductors are replaced by chiplets, there is a growing need to package many types of chiplets without losing the signal integrity performance of a monolithic semiconductor on a single IC package. An extremely low loss substrate core offers the potential benefit that unique chiplet packaging architectures can be designed with the lowest possible dielectric losses due to the multichip interconnect strategy.

Machine Learning Models in Drilling of Different Types of Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites.

The aim of the research presented in this paper was to simulate the relationship between selected technological drilling parameters (cutting speed, vc, and feed per tooth, fz) and cutting forces and the delamination in machining of a new glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite. Four different types of new materials were manufactured with the use of a specially designed pressing device and differed in the fiber type (plain and twill woven materials) and weight fraction (wf) ratio, but they had the same number of layers and the same stacking sequence. A vertical machining center Avia VMC800HS was used for drilling holes with a two-edge carbide diamond coated drill. Measurements of the cutting force Fz in the drilling process conducted with variable technological parameters were carried out on a special test stand, 9257B, from Kistler. The new ink penetration method, involving covering the drilled hole surface with a colored liquid that spreads over the inner surface of the hole showing damage, was used to determine the delamination area. The cause-and-effect relationship between the drilling parameters was simulated with the use of five machine learning (ML) regression models (Linear Regression; Decision Tree Regressor; Decision Tree Regressor with Ada Boost; XGBRF Regressor; Gradient Boosting Regressor). Gradient Boosting Regressor results showed that the feed per tooth had the greatest impact on delamination-the higher the feed was, the greater the delamination became. Push-out delamination factors had higher values for materials that were made of plain woven fibers. The lowest amplitude of the cutting force component Fz was obtained for the lowest tested feed per tooth of 0.04 mm for all tested materials, with the lowest values obtained for the materials with twill fibers.

Fracture toughness analysis of a woven sisal-glass fiber hybrid composite

This experimental work’s goal was to investigate the mode-I fracture toughness behavior of a hybrid composite material made of woven sisal and glass fibers under mode-I loading circumstances to gauge the material’s resistance to fracture behavior. The sisal plant was painstakingly stripped of its fibers. For the sisal fiber surface treatment, 5% NaOH was utilized. Next, treated fibers were weaved by hand to create the woven sisal fiber. Using the hand lay-up technique and the ASTM D5045-99 standard, compact tension specimens were created. The findings indicated that, under mode I loading circumstances, the mode I fracture toughness value of a specimen with a thickness of 5 mm has a (KIC) of 18.34 MPa. m. By determining a material’s resistance to fracture under mode I stress conditions—a condition that is employed in a variety of engineering applications—it is a valuable parameter for developing and establishing preconditions for engineering applications. The manufactured hybrid specimens’ performance and applications for various engineering materials for construction (such as tables, ceilings, and partitions), lightweight vehicle parts (like boards), and replacing synthetic materials with natural fibers in engineering applications were demonstrated by the results of the fracture toughness test.

Improving thermal conductivity of reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic steel using three-dimensional woven copper fiber

Reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steel is a primary candidate for blanket modules in nuclear-fusion reactors. Blanket modules transfer thermal energy generated by nuclear-fusion reactions to the coolant; therefore, blanket materials must have high thermal conductivity. RAFM steel is suitable for fusion reactors owing to its high strength, toughness, and resistance to neutron irradiation; however, its thermal conductivity is lower than that of other metals. This study fabricates RAFM steel–copper composites using three-dimensional (3D) woven copper fibers with different volume fractions as a preform to improve the thermal conductivity of RAFM steel around the coolant pipes. The microstructural, mechanical, and thermal properties of the developed composites and the correlations between them are experimentally investigated. Finite element simulations were also conducted on the composites comprising 3D woven copper fibers to evaluate the effective thermal conductivity. The factors that improve the effective thermal conductivity of RAFM steel–copper composites are discussed through a comparison with copper-powder composites with comparable volumes. This study demonstrates the manufacturing of composites with excellent thermal and mechanical properties using various 3D woven structures as preforms.

Environmental conditions effect on mechanical properties and mode II fracture toughness of composite multilayers with woven fibers glass /vinyl ester

Environmental conditions effect on mechanical properties and mode II fracture toughness of composite multilayers with woven fibers glass /vinyl ester

Acoustic behavior of three-dimensional woven fabrics and their composites: role of fiber type and weave architecture

The ability of composites to insulate against noise and heat is crucial when utilized in buildings and other public structures and provide enhanced load bearing properties. Three-dimensional (3D) woven textile structural fabric and composites are one of the least investigated. Therefore, in this research, the acoustic behavior of various woven structures was investigated. The effect of weave geometry, weave architecture, number of stuffer layers, etc. on the acoustic behaviors of 3D woven orthogonal fabrics was studied. The textile reinforced composites were also characterized for tensile properties. The acoustic performance of the woven fabrics also depends on the air porosity in the structure. Therefore, investigation of air flow resistance and its correlation with sound absorption coefficient is very essential. It was observed that the acoustic behavior of jute and flax orthogonal fabrics is superior to glass fabrics. Fiber-reinforced composites show less sound absorption characteristics due to the infusion of epoxy resin.

Influence of multifilament yarn twist on yarn-to-yarn friction behaviour: Application to carbon fibre weaving

Influence of multifilament yarn twist on yarn-to-yarn friction behaviour: Application to carbon fibre weaving

Experimental and numerical assessment of the flexural response of banana fiber sandwich epoxy composite

Recently, most service or product-oriented industries have been focusing on their activities to uphold the green and sustainable environment protocol owing to the increased environmental pollution. Concerning this issue, industries are now concentrating on developing recyclable or waste materials products. This research advocates developing and validating a banana fiber sandwich composite to promote the beneficial usage of bio-waste. The composite sandwich specimens were fabricated with resin-impregnated woven banana fiber mat as a skin, and the core was reinforced with three different weight percentages (5, 7.5 and 10%) of chopped banana fiber. The sandwich specimens were pressed into a three-point bending test to validate the structural integrity. The flexural characteristics like flexural strength and modulus were examined experimentally, whereas the key strength indices like flexural stiffness and core shear modulus were evaluated analytically. Post-fracture surfaces were studied through a scanning electron microscope to investigate the failure mechanism. The experimental and analytical results indicate that 10% banana fiber content in the sandwich core increases the flexural strength and flexural modulus to 225% and 147%, respectively, compared to the neat epoxy core. The numerical simulation was also performed through FEA to validate the experimental findings. The numerical results are in good concurrence with the experimental one.

Terahertz pulsed imaging of low velocity impact damage in woven fiber composite laminates

Recently, terahertz pulse imaging has been used extensively to characterize internal defects in various electrically insulating materials. In this work, terahertz pulse imaging is used to identify the damage induced by low-velocity impact on woven glass-fiber reinforced polyamide laminates. Several impact energies are considered to study the damage initiation and propagation. The permanent indentation, known to be a relevant damage indicator, is extracted from the terahertz results and validated through comparison with profilometry. Further, the criticality of the damage, in terms of the number of composite plies in which the cracks propagate, can be clearly determined from terahertz imaging. These observations are validated through X-ray tomographic observations and analysis. Finally, a strong connection is established between the evolution of the permanent indentation and the appearance, and criticality, of the low-velocity impact-induced damage. These observations suggest that terahertz imaging is a reliable technique for the nondestructive assessment of impact damage in glass fiber composites.