• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.145-156
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• 2019

As the industrial desire for a step change in productivity within the manufacture of composite structures increases, so does the interest in Through-Thickness Reinforcement technologies. As manufacturers look to increase the production rate, whilst reducing cost, Through-Thickness Reinforcement technologies represent valid methods to reinforce structural joints, as well as providing a potential alternative to mechanical fastening and bolting. The use of tufting promises to resolve the typically low delamination resistance, which is necessary when it comes to creating intersections within complex composite structures. Emerging methods include the use of 3D woven connectors, and orthogonally intersecting fibre packs, with the components secured by the selective insertion of microfasteners in the form of tufts. Intersections of this type are prevalent in aeronautical applications, as a typical connection to be found in aircraft wing structures, and their intersections with the composite skin and other structural elements. The common practice is to create back-to-back composite "L's", or to utilise a machined metallic connector, mechanically fastened to the remainder of the structure. 3D woven connectors and selective Through-Thickness Reinforcement promise to increase the ultimate load that the structure can bear, whilst reducing manufacturing complexity, increasing the load carrying capability and facilitating the automated production of parts of the composite structure. This paper provides an overview of the currently available methods for creating intersections within composite structures and compares them to alternatives involving the use of 3D woven connectors, and the application of selective Through-Thickness Reinforcement for enhanced damage tolerance. The use of tufts is investigated, and their effect on the load carrying ability of the structure is examined. The results of mechanical tests are presented for each of the methods described, and their failure characteristics examined.

• Composites Research
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.41-47
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• 2003

Composites are widely used for aircraft, satellite and other structures due to its good mechanical and thermal characteristics such as low coefficient of thermal expansion(CTE), heat-resistance, high specific stiffness and specific strength. In order to use composites under condition of high temperature, however, material properties of composites at high temperatures must be measured and verified. In this paper, material properties of T700/Epoxy were measured through tension tests of composite specimens with an embedded FBG sensor in the thermal chamber at the temperatures of RT, $100^{\circ}$, $200^{\circ}$, $300^{\circ}$, $300^{\circ}$. Through the pre-test of an embedded optical fiber, we confirmed the embedding effects of an optical fiber on material properties of the composites. Two kinds of specimens of which stacking sequences are [0/｛0｝/0]$_{T}$. and [$90_2$/｛0｝/$90_2$]. were fabricated. From the experimental results, material property changes of composites were successfully shown according to temperatures and we confirmed that fiber Bragg grating sensor is very appropriate to strain measurement of composites under high temperature.

• International Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.16-20
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• 2020

The recent trend is increasing towards the usage of polymer matrix composites since they have a wide variety of applications. They have applications in the field of aircraft and space industry, sporting goods, medical devices, marine and automotive applications and also in commercial usage. The most commonly used fibre-reinforced polymer matrix composite is Glass fibre reinforced epoxy (GFRE) composite which is used in aviation, sports and automotive industries. However, the strength of GFRE composites is not adequate for structural applications. Therefore, the current research focuses on increasing the strength of GFRE composites by reinforcing with micro Graphite (Gr) particulates. The Gr used is an ultra-fine powder with particle size 250 ㎛. Gr is known to have good wear resistance, thermal conductivity and can operate at high temperatures. Gr particulates are mixed with the epoxy matrix in various weight ratios. Hand-lay technique is used for fabricating the composites. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elongation, compressive strength and flexural strength are obtained experimentally to study the effect of change in Gr content (0-5 wt. %). The tests were done as per ASTM standards.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.29-43
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• 2016

Composite materials are rapidly gaining popularity as an alternative to metals for structural and load bearing applications in the aerospace, automotive, alternate energy and consumer industries. With the advent of thermoplastic composites and advances in recycling technologies, fully recyclable composites are gaining ground over traditional thermoset composites. Stamp forming as an alternative processing technique for sheet products has proven to be effective in allowing the fast manufacturing rates required for mass production of components. This study investigates the feasibility of using the stamp forming technique for the processing of thermoplastic, recyclable composite materials. The material system used in this study is a self-reinforced polypropylene composite material (Curv$^{(R)}$). The investigation includes a detailed experimental study based on strain measurements using a non-contact optical measurement system in conjunction with stamping equipment to record and measure the formability of the thermoplastic composites in real time. A Design of Experiments (DOE) methodology was adopted to elucidate the effect of process parameters that included blank holder force, pre heat temperature and feed rate on stamp forming. DOE analyses indicate that feed rate had negligible influence on the strain evolution during stamp forming and blank holder force and preheat temperature had significant effect on strain evolution during forming.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.32-43
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• 2014

Automatic fiber placement (AFP) has become a popular processing technique for composites in the aerospace industry, due to its ability to place prepregs or tapes precisely in the exact position when complex parts are being manufactured. This paper presents the design, analysis, and manufacture of an AFP mandrel for composite aircraft fuselage skin fabrication. According to the design requirements, an AFP mandrel was developed and a numerical study was performed through the finite element method. Linear static load analyses were performed considering the mandrel structure self-weight and a 2940 N load from the AFP machine head. Modal analysis was also performed to determine the mandrel's natural frequencies. These analyses confirmed that the proposed mandrel meets the design requirements. A prototype mandrel was then manufactured and used to fabricate a composite fuselage skin. Material load tests were conducted on the AFP fuselage skin curved laminates, equivalent flat AFP, and hand layup laminates. The flat AFP and hand layup laminates showed almost identical strength results in tension and compression. Compared to hand layup, the flat AFP laminate modulus was 5.2% higher in tension and 12.6% lower in compression. The AFP curved laminates had an ultimate compressive strength of 1.6% to 8.7% higher than flat laminates. The FEM simulation predicted strengths were 4% higher in tension and 11% higher in compression than the flat laminate test results.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.153-157
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• 2001

Interfacial properties and microfailure modes of electrodeposition (ED) treated carbon fiber reinforced polyetherimide (PEI) toughened epoxy composite were investigated using microdroplet test and the measurement of surface wettability. As PEI content increased, Interfacial shear strength (IFSS) increased due to enhanced toughness and plastic deformation of PEI. In the untreated case, IFSS increased with adding PEI content, and IFSS of pure PEI matrix showed the highest. On the other hand, for ED-treated case IFSS increased with PEI content with rather low improvement rate. The work of adhesion between fiber and matrix was not directly proportional to IFSS for both the untreated and ED-treated cases. The matrix toughness might contribute to IFSS more likely than the surface wettability. Interfacial properties of epoxy-PEI composite can be affected efficiently by both the control of matrix toughness and ED treatment.

• Composites Research
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.152-157
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• 2014

Non-destructive testing methods of composite materials are very important for improving material reliability and safety. AE measurement is based on the detection of microscopic surface movements from stress waves in a material during the fracture process. The examination of AE is a useful tool for the sensitive detection and location of active damage in polymer and composite materials. FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating) sensors have attracted much interest owing to the important advantages of optical fiber sensing. Compared to conventional electronic sensors, fiber-optical sensors are known for their high resolution and high accuracy. Furthermore, they offer important advantages such as immunity to electromagnetic interference, and electrically passive operation. In this paper, the crack detection capability of AE (Acoustic Emission) measurement was compared with that of an FBG sensor under tensile testing and buckling test of composite materials. The AE signals of the PVDF sensor were measured and an AE signal analyzer, which had a low pass filter and a resonance filter, was designed and fabricated. Also, the wavelength variation of the FBG sensor was measured and its strain was calculated. Calculated strains were compared with those determined by finite element analysis.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.407-413
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• 1999

Non-ceramic composite insulator has been interested in the power industry because of its good characteristics in mechanical properties, mass product and design availability. Also it is lighter, and less unexplosive, compared to a ceramic insulator. Especially EPDM rubber composite insulator can be used for long-term in contaminated environments because of its hydrophobicity. This paper showed the rheological properties, the electrical properties, and contact angles to check the hydrophobicity and the recoverability of the EPDM compounds. Also, we investigated surface morphology of the compound by SEM.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.75-86
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• 1995

In order to manufacture and produce the components to be used for developing aerospace products, it is essential to determine the conformity of material characteristics to the design requirements. However, since the Korean industry has no experience to develop aircraft and spacecraft, the national certification system has not been established. Hence, it is necessary to define the qualification methodology of material to establish the durability and the safety of aircraft and spacecraft. In this paper the characterization methodology which has been performed in aeronautically advanced countries for determination of conformity in materials and production process is reviewed. The change of material properties due to the space environment and the example of evaluation program of composites for the application of aircraft are presented. so that the foundation of evaluation system for aerospace materials can be initiated.

• Composites Research
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.402-407
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• 2015

It is well known that the polymer matrix composite materials have good specific strength, making them appropriate for use in transport vehicle. Since the property of composite materials can be obtained only after manufacturing parts, the property depends on greatly on the fabrication process, which is different from metallic system. Therefore, in order to use composite materials for aircraft, the certifying agency requires a robust database with extensive tests and proof of the process unlike metals. Recently developed material qualification methodology by NCAMP (National Center for Advanced Materials Performance) has been accepted by FAA and EASA and can be applied to type certificate reducing time and cost of developing a composite materials database for aircraft application. This paper summarizes a study to establish the composite materials database to apply the NCAMP methodology to composite materials characterization for composite aircraft and to provide the effective materials database through Aerospace Composite Materials Data Center to be approved by Korea Civil Aviation Certification Agency.