Effect of tow thickness on the structural response of aerospace-grade spread-tow fabrics

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2017

Authors

Arteiro, A (Author) FEUP; Catalanotti, G (Author) Other; Xavier, J (Author) Other; Linde, P (Author) Other; Camanho, PP (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Composite Structures

Vol. 179

Pages: 208-223

ISSN: 0263-8223

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 24 Citations

Scopus - 24 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00N-0AC

DOI: 10.1016/j.compstruct.2017.06.047

Abstract (EN): The effect of ply thickness on the onset of intralaminar and interlaminar damage is extremely important for the structural response of laminated composite structures. This subject has gained particular interest in recent years due to the introduction in the market of spread-tow, ultra-thin carbon-fibre reinforcements with different configurations. In the present paper, an experimental test campaign was carried out to study the structural response of aerospace-grade plain weave spread-tow fabrics (STFs) of different areal weights. The results showed that, in spite of an apparent superior longitudinal tensile strength of the thick STF, the multidirectional thin-STF laminate exhibited an improved tensile unnotched strength over the thick-STF laminate, attributed to its damage suppression capability. However, damage suppression was also responsible for similar tensile notched strengths. In compression, the thin-STF laminate performed substantially better than the thick-STF laminate in both unnotched and notched configurations. Finally, a similar bearing response was obtained in both STF laminates, in spite of a slightly higher resistance of the thin-STF laminate to the propagation of subcritical damage mechanisms.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 16