Mechanical performance and damage mechanisms of thin rectangular carbon/ Elium® tubular thermoplastic composites under flexure and low-velocity impact. (August 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bhudolia, Somen K.; Gohel, Goram; Kantipudi, Jayaram; Leong, Kah Fai; Gerard, Pierre
• Is Part Of: Thin-walled structures. Volume 165(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-08
• Subjects: Thin tubular structures -- Bladder Resin Transfer Moulding (B-RTM) -- Thermoplastic resin -- Impact behaviour -- Flexure -- Failure; Thin-walled structures -- Periodicals; 690.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tws.2021.107971
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0263-8231

Abstract

Abstract: Hollow thin composite tubular structures are widely used in many industrial applications and there is a growing need to innovate both the manufacturing process which is suitable for mass production as well as the material aspects to improvise the mechanical properties and the weight. The current research presents a detailed study on manufacturing thin hollow woven carbon fibre (WC)/Elium® (EL) rectangular tubular structures. Bladder resin transfer moulding process optimization study is carried out and the moldability zones were defined. A detailed experimental investigation was carried out to understand the impact and flexure properties of woven carbon (WC) tubular configurations with Elium® (EL) and Epoxy (EP) matrix system. Impact tests were performed at 6 different energies to derive the energy profiling diagrams by studying the penetration and preformation thresholds. WC/EL tubular configuration has shown a maximum 12.5% increase in peak load and 55% increase in absorbed energy as compared to WC/EP composite, respectively. The WC/EL composite tubes have shown similar or better results in terms of bending strength (10% higher) and there was a noticeable increase in deformation owing to the extended plasticity behaviour of acrylic thermoplastic resin compared to WC/EP composites. The rationale and underlying reasons for the differences in the mechanical performance and failure mechanisms for both the tubes tested in impact and flexural are studied with the help of high-speed camera examination and microscopic study and are deliberated in this paper. Graphical abstract: Highlights: Mechanical performance of novel thin thermoplastic composite tubular structures. LVI with in-situ high-speed camera and 3-point bending investigation. Comparison of woven carbon/Elium® (WC/EL) vs woven carbon/Epoxy (WC/EP). 12.5% and 55% higher peak load and absorbed energy for WC/EL composite. More deformation owing to extended plasticity for WC/EL under 3-point bending.