• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.355-360
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• 2023

Epoxy-based carbon fibers reinforced plastic (CFRP) exhibit limitations in their suitability for industrial applications due to high brittleness characteristics. To address this challenge, extensive investigations are underway to enhance their toughness properties. This research focuses on evaluating the toughening mechanisms achieved by Polyamide 6 particles(p-PA6) and Carboxyl-Terminated Butadiene-Acrylonitrile (CTBN) elastomer, with a specific emphasis on utilizing minimal additive quantities. The study explores the impact of varying concentrations of p-PA6 and CTBN additives, namely 0.5, 1, 2.5, and 5 phr, through comprehensive Mode I fracture toughness and tensile strength analyses. The inclusion of p-PA6 demonstrated improvements in toughness when introduced at a relatively low content of 1phr. This improvement manifested as a sustained fracture behavior, contributing to enhanced toughness, while simultaneously maintaining the material's tensile strength. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the incorporation of p-PA6 affected in particle aggregation, thus influencing the overall toughening mechanism. Incorporation of CTBN, an elastomeric modifier, exhibited a pronounced increase in fracture toughness at higher concentrations of 2.5 phr and beyond. However, this increase in toughness was accompanied by a reduction in tensile strength, resulting in fracture behavior similar to conventional CFRP exhibiting brittleness. The synergy between pPA6, CTBN and CFRP appeared to marginally enhance tensile strength under specific content conditions. As a result of this study, optimized conditions for the application of the p-PA6, CTBN toughening technology have been identified and established.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.270-274
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• 2023

The stacking configuration of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, achieved via the filament winding process, exhibits distinct variations compared to conventional FRP composite stacking arrangements. Consequently, it becomes challenging to ascertain the influence of mechanical properties based on the typical stacking structures. Thus, it becomes imperative to enhance the mechanical behavior and optimize the interleaved structures to improve overall performance. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of incorporating amorphous halloysite nanotubes (A-HNTs) within different layers of five unique layer arrangements on the low-velocity impact properties of interleaved carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) structures. The low-velocity impact characteristics of the laminate were validated using a drop weight impact test, wherein the resulting impact damage modes and extent of damage were compared and evaluated under microscopic analysis. Each interleaved structure laminate according to whether nanoparticles are added was compared at impact energies of 10 J and 15 J. In the case of 10 J, the absorption energy showed a similar tendency in each structure. However, at 15 J, the absorption energy varies from structure to structure. Among them, a structure in which nanoparticles are not added exhibits the highest absorption energy. Additionally, various impact fracture modes were observed in each structure through optical microscopy.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.132-139
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• 2023

A linerless composite propellant tank was designed and manufactured by using the carbon fiber-reinforced composite materials which have superior strength-to-weight ratio in order to reduce weight of the tank. In this research, we designed a sub-scale composite propellant tank with a diameter of 800 mm to withstand an MEOP of 1.7 MPa. We manufactured the boss of the tank by using the same composite materials to reduce the thermal expansion difference between the boss and the secondary-bonded composite layers of the barrel in the cryogenic environment. We used the collapsible mandrel to manufacture the tank without any liner. The mandrel was made from epoxy-based composite tooling prepregs to reduce weight of the mandrel. We manufactured the test tanks by laying up the carbon fiber fabric prepregs manually on the mandrel and then applying the autoclave cure process. We performed a proof test, a helium tightness test, a repeated pressurization test, and a burst test in room temperature. The test results demonstrate that the proposed design and manufacture process satisfies all strength requirements as well as an anti-leakage requirement.

• Composites Research
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.136-140
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• 2012

This paper describes the bone healing process of fractured long bones such as a tibia applied by composite IM rods using finite element analysis. To simulated tissue differentiation process mechano-regulation theory with a deviatoric strain was implemented and a user's subroutine programmed by a Python code for an iterative calculation was used. To broadly find the appropriate rod modulus for healing bone fractures, composite IM rods were analyzed considering the stacking sequence. To compare mechanical stimulation at fracture gap, two kinds of initial loading conditions were applied. As a result, it was found that the initial loading condition was the most sensitive factor for the healing performance. In case a composite IM rod made of a plain weave carbon fiber/epoxy (WSN3k) had a stacking sequence of $[{\pm}45]_{nT}$, the healing efficiency was the most effective under a initial load of 10%BW.

• Composites Research
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.39-46
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• 2000

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) cuts metal by discharging electric current across a thin gap between tool and workpiece. Electrical discharge wire cutting, a special form of EDM, uses a continuously moving conductive wire as an electrode, and is widely used for the manufacture of punches, dies and stripper plates. In the wire cutting process, the moving wire is usually supported by cantilever arm and wire guides. As the wire traveling speed has been increased in recent years to improve productivity, the vibration of the cantilever arm occurs, which reduces the positional accuracy of the machine. Therefore, the design and manufacture of the cantilever arm with high dynamic characteristics have become important as the machining speed increases. In this paper, the cantilever arm for guiding the moving wire was designed and manufactured using carbon fiber epoxy composite in order to improve the static and dynamic characteristics. Specimens for the composite cantilever arm were manufactured and tested to investigate the effect of the number of reinforcing plies and length fitted to steel flange on the load capacity. Also, the finite element analysis using layer and contact elements was performed to compare the calculated results with the experimental ones. From the results, the prototype of the composite cantilever arm for the electrical discharge wire cutting machine was manufactured and the static and dynamic characteristics were compared with those of the conventional steel cantilever arm.

• Composites Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.174-179
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• 2021

Currently, fluid transfer steel pipes take a lot of time and expense to maintain all facilities due to new construction and painting or corrosion and aging. Therefore, this study was conducted for designing a CFRP pipe structure with high corrosion resistance and chemical resistance as a substitute for steel pipes. The helical/hoop pattern was cross-laminated to improve durability, and HNT was added to suppress the moisture absorption phenomenon of the epoxy. The HNT/CFRP pipe was manufactured by a filament winding process, and performed a mechanical property test, and a moisture absorption test in distilled water at 70℃. As a result, the highest bending strength was obtained when the hoop pattern was laminated with a thickness equivalent to 0.6% of the pipe. The 0.5 wt% HNT specimen had the highest moisture absorption resistance. Also, the delamination phenomenon at the interlayer interface was delayed, resulting in the lowest strength reduction rate.

• Composites Research
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.7-13
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• 2010

Type3 cylinder is a composite pressure vessel fully over-wrapped with carbon/epoxy composite layers over an aluminum liner, which is the most ideal and safe high pressure gas container for CNG vehicles due to the lightweight and the leakage-before-burst characteristics. During service in CNG vehicle, if a fiber cut damage occurs in outer composite layers, it can degrade structural performance, reducing cycling life from the original design life. In this study, finite element modeling and analysis technique for the composite cylinder with fiber-cut crack damage is presented. Because FE analysis of type3 cylinder is path dependant due to plastic deformation of aluminum liner in autofrettage process, method to introduce a crack into FE model affect analysis result. A crack should be introduced after autofrettage in analysis step considering real circumstances where crack occurs during usage in service. For realistic simulation of this situation, FE modeling and analysis technique introducing a crack in the middle of analysis step is presented and the results are compared with usual FE analysis which has initial crack in the model from the beginning of analysis. Proposed analysis technique can be used effectively in the evaluation of influence of damage on composite layers of type3 cylinder and establish inspection criteria of composite cylinder in service.

• Composites Research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.23-31
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• 2002

The two dimensional size effect of specimen gauge section ($length{\;}{\times}{\;}width$) was investigated on the compressive behavior of a T300/924 $\textrm{[}45/-45/0/90\textrm{]}_{3s}$, carbon fiber-epoxy laminate. A modified ICSTM compression test fixture was used together with an anti-buckling device to test 3mm thick specimens with a $30mm{\;}{\times}{\;}30mm,{\;}50mm{\;}{\times}{\;}50mm,{\;}70mm{\;}{\times}{\;}70mm{\;}and{\;}90mm{\;}{\times}{\;}90mm$ gauge length by width section. In all cases failure was sudden and occurred mainly within the gauge length. Post failure examination suggests that $0^{\circ}$ fiber microbuckling is the critical damage mechanism that causes final failure. This is the matrix dominated failure mode and its triggering depends very much on initial fiber waviness. It is suggested that manufacturing process and quality may play a significant role in determining the compressive strength. When the anti-buckling device was used on specimens, it was showed that the compressive strength with the device was slightly greater than that without the device due to surface friction between the specimen and the device by pretoque in bolts of the device. In the analysis result on influence of the anti-buckling device using the finite element method, it was found that the compressive strength with the anti-buckling device by loaded bolts was about 7% higher than actual compressive strength. Additionally, compressive tests on specimen with an open hole were performed. The local stress concentration arising from the hole dominates the strength of the laminate rather than the stresses in the bulk of the material. It is observed that the remote failure stress decreases with increasing hole size and specimen width but is generally well above the value one might predict from the elastic stress concentration factor. This suggests that the material is not ideally brittle and some stress relief occurs around the hole. X-ray radiography reveals that damage in the form of fiber microbuckling and delamination initiates at the edge of the hole at approximately 80% of the failure load and extends stably under increasing load before becoming unstable at a critical length of 2-3mm (depends on specimen geometry). This damage growth and failure are analysed by a linear cohesive zone model. Using the independently measured laminate parameters of unnotched compressive strength and in-plane fracture toughness the model predicts successfully the notched strength as a function of hole size and width.