Delamination toughening of carbon fiber/epoxy laminates by hierarchical carbon nanotube-short carbon fiber interleaves. (1st March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhou, Helezi; Du, Xusheng; Liu, Hong-Yuan; Zhou, Huamin; Zhang, Yun; Mai, Yiu-Wing
• Is Part Of: Composites science and technology. Volume 140(2017)
• Page Start: 46
• Page End: 53
• Publication Date: 2017-03-01
• Subjects: Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs) -- Carbon fibers -- Carbon nanotubes -- Delamination -- Fracture toughness -- Interface; Composite materials -- Periodicals; Composite materials; Fibrous composites; Periodicals; 620.118
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2016.12.018
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0266-3538

Abstract

Abstract: In this study, hierarchical short carbon fibers (SCFs) synthesized with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were used as CNT-SCF interleaves to increase the mode I delamination fracture energy G IC of carbon fiber/epoxy (CF/EP) composite laminates. Even at a relatively low CNT-SCF areal density, 1.0 mg/cm 2, G IC (1.17 kJ/m 2 ) was increased by 125% compared to the control laminates (0.52 kJ/m 2 ), which is a very high value compared to those results obtained by other interleaving methods in CF/EP laminates. The toughening effects of SCFs in bulk epoxy and interleaved CF/EP laminates were also studied to better understand the failure mechanisms of the hierarchical CNT-SCF structure. SEM observations revealed synergistic toughening mechanisms in these CNT-SCF interleaved CF/EP laminates.