• Composites Research
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.61-67
• /
• 2004

Nondestructive damage sensitivity on single-basalt fiber/epoxy composites was evaluated by micromechanical technique and acoustic emission (AE). Piezoelectric lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) copolymer were used as AE sensor, respectively. In single-fiber composite, the damage sensing with different sensor types were compared to each other. Piezoelectric PVDF polymer sensor was embedded in and attached on the composite, whereas PZT sensor was only attached on the surface of specimen. In case of embedded polymer sensors, responding sensitivity was higher than that of the attached case. It can be due to full constraint inside specimen to transfer elastic wave coming from micro-deformation. For both the attached and the embedded cases, the sensitivity of P(VDF-TrFE) sensor was almost same as that of conventional PVDF sensor.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.219-224
• /
• 2014

Nancomposites manufacture has been developed rapidly, because of reinforcing effects of CNT in terms of mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. In this study, 10 wt% CNT paste was fabricated with good dispersion state and easy processability. Damage sensing and reinforcing effect of CNT paste were investigated in nanocomposites. 10 wt% CNT paste exhibited better tensile and flexural properties than those of general 1 wt% CNT nanocomposites. To observe the healing effect of CNT paste, a crack was made artificially with 30wt% CF30wt%/PP composites, and the CNT paste was filled inside the crack. The damage sensing of CNT paste in CF30wt%/PP composites was investigated by electrical resistance measurement and mechanical tests. CNT paste exhibited good reinforcing effect in mechanical properties of CF30wt%/PP composites, and this reinforcing effect was getting better with larger cracks. The reason was because CNT paste had good interfacial adhesion with CF30wt%/PP composites to resist crack propagation. In electrical resistance measurement, there was a jump in electrical resistance signal at the adhesion interface. The jumping signal could be used to predict fracture of CF/PP composites. CNT nanocomposites for damage sensing had crack reducing effect and damage detection using electrical resistance method.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.62-67
• /
• 2003

Interfacial properties and damage sensing for the carbon fiber/epoxy-amine terminated (AT)-polyetherimide (PEI) composite were performed using microdroplet test and electrical resistance measurements. As AT-PEI content increased, the fracture toughness of epoxy-AT-PEI matrix increased, and interfacial shear strength (IFSS) increased due to the improved fracture toughness by energy absorption mechanisms of AT-PEI phase. The microdroplet in the carbon fiber/neat epoxy composite showed brittle microfailure mode. At 15 phr AT-PEI content ductile microfailure mode appeared because of improved fracture toughness. After curing, the change in electrical resistance $\Delta\textrm{R}$) with increasing AT-PEI content increased gradually because of thermal shrinkage. Under cyclic stress, in the neat epoxy case the reaching time until same stress was faster and their slope was higher than those of 15 phr AT-PEI. The result obtained from electrical resistance measurements under curing process and reversible stress/strain was correspondence well with matrix toughness properties.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.68-73
• /
• 2003

Interfacial properties and electrical sensing fer fiber fracture in carbon and SiC fibers/epoxy composites were investigated by the electrical resistance measurement and fragmentation test. As fiber-embedded angle increased, the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of two-type fiber composites decreased, and the elapsed time takes long until the infinity in electrical resistivity. The initial slope of electrical resistivity increased rapidly to the infinity at higher angle, whereas electrical resistivity increased gradually at small angle. Furthermore, both fiber composites with small embedded angle showed a fully-developed stress whitening pattern, whereas both composites with higher embedded angle exhibited a less developed stress whitening pattern. As embedded angle decreased, the gap between the fragments increased and the debonded length was wider for both fiber composites. Electro-micromechanical technique could be a feasible nondestructive evaluation to measure interfacial sensing properties depending on the fiber-embedded angle in conductive fiber reinforced composites.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.21-26
• /
• 2005

Nondestructive damage sensing and load transfer mechanisms of carbon nanotube (CNT) and nanofiber (CNF)/epoxy composites have been investigated by using electro-micromechanical technique. The electrospun PVDF nanofibers were also prepared as a piezoelectric sensor. The electro-micromechanical techniques were applied to evaluate sensing response of carbon nanocomposites by measuring electrical resistance under an uniform cyclic loading. Composites with higher volume content of CNT showed significantly higher tensile properties than neat and low volume$\%$ CNT composites. CNT composites showed humidity sensing within limited temperature range. CNT composites with smaller aspect ratio showed higher apparent modulus due to high volume content in case of shorter aspect ratio. Thermal treated electrospun PVDF nanofiber showed higher mechanical properties than the untreated case due to crystallinity increase, whereas load sensing decreased in heat treated case. Electrospun PVDF nanofiber web also showed sensing effect on humidity and temperature as well as stress transferring. Nanocomposites and electrospun PVDF nanofiber web can be applicable for sensing application.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
• /
• 2004.04a
• /
• pp.135-138
• /
• 2004

Conventional piezoelectric lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) senor has high sensitivity, but it is very brittle. Recently polymer films such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and poly(vinylidene fluoride­trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) copolymer have been used as a sensor. The advantages of polymer sensor are the flexibility and mechanical toughness. Simple process and possible several shapes are also additional advantages. Polymer sensor can be directly embedded in a structure. In this study, nondestructive damage sensitivity of single basalt fiber/epoxy composites was investigated with sensor type and thermal damage using AE and oscilloscope. And AE waveform for epoxy matrix with various damage types was compared to each other. The damage sensitivity of two polymer sensors was rather lower than that of PZT sensor. The damage sensitivity of PVDF sensor did not decrease until thermal damage temperature at $80^{\circ}C$ and they decreased significantly at $110^{\circ}C$ However, the damage sensitivity of P(VDF-TrFE) sensor at $110^{\circ}C$ was almost same in no damage sensor. For both top and side impacts, the difference in arrival time increased with increasing internal and surface damage density of epoxy matrix.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
• /
• 2002.10a
• /
• pp.216-219
• /
• 2002

Conventional piezoelectric lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) senor has high sensitivity, but it is very brittle. Recently polymer films such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) have been used use as a sensor. The advantages of PVDF are the flexibility and mechanical toughness. Simple process and possible several shapes are also additional advantages. PVDF sensor can be directly embedded and attached to a structure. In this study, PVDF sensor was embedded in single glass fiber/epoxy composites whereas PZT sensor with AE was attached to single fiber composites (SFC). Piezoelectric sensor responds to interfacial damage of SFC. The signals measured by PVDF sensor were compared to PZT sensor. PZT sensor detected the signals of fiber fracture, matrix crack, interfacial debonding and even sensor delamination, whereas PVDF sensor only detected fiber fracture signals so far, because PZT sensor is much more sensitive than current PVDF sensor. Wave voltage of fiber fracture measured by PVDF sensor was lower than that of PZT sensor, but the results of fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis were same. Wave velocity using two PZT sensors was also studied to know the internal and surface damage effect of epoxy specimens.