Carbon fibre reinforced epoxy resins

Sato N., Kurauchi T., Sato, S. and Kamigaito O. (1986). Fracture mechanism of unidirectional carbon-fibre reinforced epoxy resin composites. J. Mater. Sci. 21, 1005-1010. 

Owston, C. N. (1976), Eddy current methods for the examination of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy resins. Materials Evaluation. Nov. 1976. 34. 11, 237-244, 250. 

In this chapter, the characteristics of air explosions are briefly described and various blast protection paradigms are discussed. The blast behaviour of plain composites and multilayered structures are then discussed. Plain composites typically comprise polymeric resins with a fibre reinforcement, such as carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy resins. Multilayered systems include composite sandwich stmctures and hybrid composite-metal structures, known as fibre-metal laminates (FMLs). 

On the other hand, coating techniques do have less influence on the fibre surface. Nevertheless, brittle coatings such as SiC deteriorate mechanical properties of the fibres. As an example, reactive sputtered SiC layers improve the interfacial shear strength of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy resin /3/. Recently, Dagli and Sung 141 reported about the coating of carbon fibres by plasma polymerization of acrylonitrile and styrene using an inductively coupled plasma. 

Unidirectional carbon fibre reinforced epoxy resin as well as polycarbonate composites were manufactured with a fibre volume fraction of around 60 %. The main steps in manufacturing a composite are the impregnation, the moulding and the curing by thermoset matrices. Composites should be non- porous, crack-free and stress-free, with homogeneously distributed fibres embedded in the matrix. 

In the last years the thermal behavior of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy resins has been investigated by different research groups [50]. Regnier et al. performed a kinetic study on the thermal degradation of carbon fibre/epoxy composites, both in air and in inert atmosphere. The thermal degradation of the composites occurred in three stages [51]. The presence of vapour-grown carbon nanofibres into the epoxy resin matrix did not influence the thermal stability of the resin. The decomposition temperatures in the case of composites were almost the same with the decomposition temperature of epoxy resin [52]. 

The Boeing 737 Dreamliner utilises carbon fibre reinforced epoxy resin composite in its construction (Figure 7.1). 

Because ablation is carried ont at high temperatures it is possible to examine thermally static polymers snch as poly-p-methylstyrene. Other recent applications of ToF-SIMS include the examination of PS [182-184], PE [185], carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy resins [186], polyalkylacrylates [187], alkylketene dimers [188], perfluorinated polymers [189],... 

Fig. 8.22. Modified Goodman diagram showing fatigue stress amplitude required to cause failure in 10 cycles as a function of mean stress for two carbon-fibre reinforced epoxy resin materials (a) unidirectionally reinforced, stressed parallel to fibres, and (b) cross-plied laminate, with 45% of plies parallel to stress, and 55% transverse. Fibre volume fraction 60% (after R. Tetlow).

T., Chemical recycling of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy resin composites in subcritical water synergistic effect of phenol and KOH on the decomposition efficiency, Polym. Degrad. Stab., 97 (3), 214-220 (2012). 

Other recent applications of ToF-SIMS without XPS include the examination of PS [6, 17-19], polyethylene (PE) [20], carbon fibre reinforced epoxy resins [21], polyalkyl methacrylates [22], alkylketene dimers [23], perfluorinated polymers [24], perflnorinated ethers [25], polyethylene glycol (PEG) oligomers [15, 25-29], rubber [30], ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer [30], Nylon-6 [31], PC [32,33], PDMS [34], polypyrrole coated PS [35], poly-p-phenylene vinylene [36], butyl rubber [37], poly(4-vinyl phenol)/poly(4-vinyl pyridine blends) [38], polypyrrole-silica gel composites [39], y-glycidoxypropyl trimethoxy silane [40], triblock copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)- 3 poly(phenylene ethylene)- 3 poly(ethylene glycol) [41], ethylene-terephthalate-hydroxybenzoate copolymer [42], PS-polyvinyl methyl ether, polycarbonate - PS blends [43] and PDMS-urethane [44],... 

W. Bonfield, B. C. Edwards, A. J. Markham, J. R. White (1976) Wear transfer films formed by carbon fibre reinforced epoxy resin sliding on stainless steel. Wear 37, 113. 

WW Wright, The effect of diffusion of water into epoxy resins and their carbon fibre reinforced composites . Composites 198112 201. 

Plastic composites such as glass- or carbon-fibre reinforced materials are often based on polar epoxy or polyester resins, and are therefore compatible with the common adhesives as well as being readily bondable. Surface treatment is required simply to remove contaminants such as oils, dirt, and especially fluorocarbon mould release agents. The two main techniques used to achieve this are ... 

Contact moulding is a simple and well known method for fabrication of fibre-reinforced thermoset composites. Thermoset resins which cure at room temperature such as unsaturated polyester, vinyl ester, and epoxy are used to make glass, jute or carbon fibre-reinforced composites using contact moulding. A wide variety of structures can be fabricated using this technique without limitation with respect to the size and complexity of the shape of the structure. However, the process is very labour-intensive and time-consuming, so is used only for a short run or one-off production. 

Volnme resistivities have been reported on phenol-formaldehyde [37], carbon fibre reinforced ABS terpolymer [35], natural rubber [38], polystyrene (PS) [35], HDPE-natnral fibre composites [34], carbon black filled PP-epoxy-glass fibre composites [5], XLPE [32], nanoclay reinforced EPDM-g-TMEVS [31] and epoxy resin/PANI blends [33]. 

Electrical conductivity measurements have been reported on a wide range of polymers including carbon nanofibre reinforced HOPE [52], carbon black filled LDPE-ethylene methyl acrylate composites [28], carbon black filled HDPE [53], carbon black reinforced PP [27], talc filled PP [54], copper particle modified epoxy resins [55], epoxy and epoxy-haematite nanorod composites [56], polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) blends [57], polyacrylonitrile based carbon fibre/PC composites [58], PC/MnCli composite films [59], titanocene polyester derivatives of terephthalic acid [60], lithium trifluoromethane sulfonamide doped PS-block-polyethylene oxide (PEO) copolymers [61], boron containing PVA derived ceramic organic semiconductors [62], sodium lanthanum tetrafluoride complexed with PEO [63], PC, acrylonitrile butadiene [64], blends of polyethylene dioxythiophene/ polystyrene sulfonate, PVC and PEO [65], EVA copolymer/carbon fibre conductive composites [66], carbon nanofibre modified thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers [67], PPY [68], PPY/PP/montmorillonite composites [69], carbon fibre reinforced PDMS-PPY composites [29], PANI [70], epoxy resin/PANI dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid blends [71], PANI/PA 6,6 composites [72], carbon fibre EVA composites [66], HDPE carbon fibre nanocomposites [52] and PPS [73]. 

Epoxy resins, carbon fibre reinforced Aerospace applications - fuselages, helicopter blades... 

In addition to giving a measure of the deformation within fibres, the strain-induced band shifts in Raman spectra have been used to follow the micromechanics of fibre reinforcement in model polydiacetylene/epoxy composites (13). The critical length has been measured directly (13) and the effect of resin shrinkage has been examined in detail (14,15). It has also been demonstrated that the technique can be employed to measure fibre strain optically in a high voliine fraction Kevlar 49/epoxy composite (16). In this present paper we demonstrate that Raman microscopy can also be used to measure fibre strain in carbon fibre reinforced PEEK composites (17) and to give a direct measure of residual thermal shrinkage stresses in PEEK matrix composites. 

Figure 11.15 Fluorescent protein as a mechanophore at the fibre-epoxy resin interface in self-reporting fibre-reinforced composites, (a) The formation of microdamages promotes interfacial debonding between resin and fibre, therefore causing the protein to unfold and to lose its fluorescence. (b) Confocal fluorescence microscopy image of a damaged glass fibre-eYFP/epo>y composite, (c) Z-stack projection of confocal fluorescence microscopy images of a damaged carbon fibre-eYFP/ epoxy composite. (F yellow fluorescence channel, O overlay of fluorescence and transmission images).

Notwithstanding the remarkable properties of materials such as Kevlar, modem engineers are constantly looking for improved performance. One of the most successful areas in this regard is the development of composites such materials are manufactured in such a way that the final material has superior properties to the sum of its constituents. For example, fibres of Kevlar, glass or carbon are used to reinforce epoxy resins. Increasingly developments are focusing on more sophisticated materials for example, poly (ether ether ketone) can replace epoxy as the... 

Whitney JM, Browning CE (1978) Some anomalies associated with moisture diffusion in epoxy matrix composite materials. In Vinson JR (ed) Advanced composite materials-environmental effects, ASTM STP 658. American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, pp 43-60 Wright W (1981) The effect of diffusion of water into epoxy resins and their carbon-fibre reinforced composites. Composites 12(3) 201-205 Yao J, Ziegmaim G (2007) Water absorption behavior and its influence on properties of GRP pipe. J Compos Mater 41(8) 993-1008... 

Epoxy, bismaleimide, polyimide and PEEK resins were used, with 60% carbon fibre reinforcement. 

The results are for Toray T300 carbon fibre reinforcement in two or three standard bismaleimide resins (65FWR was referred to in Table 5.18), polystyryl pyridine, a polyimide, PMR15, and an intermediate temperature cure epoxy, Ciba-Geigy s 913C. 

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