Premium
Evaluation of carbon‐fiber‐reinforced thermoplastic matrices in a flat braid process
Author(s) -
Hasselbrack Sally A.,
Pederson Christopher L.,
Seferis James C.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
polymer composites
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.577
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1548-0569
pISSN - 0272-8397
DOI - 10.1002/pc.750130106
Subject(s) - materials science , composite material , braid , thermoplastic , ultimate tensile strength , wetting , composite number , sulfide , thermoplastic elastomer , polymer , copolymer , metallurgy
An investigation was conducted to evaluate the effect of blending thermoplastic filament fibers with carbon filament fibers in varying yarn forms to study the efficiency of matrix wetting and infiltration into a laminate. Poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK) and poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS) were studied in commingled, DREF, and powder form, as a flat triaxial braid. The as‐braided and laminated specimens were both subjected to tensile testing and optical microscopy to establish the efficiency of the impregnation process. It was observed that both thermoplastic matrices commingled with carbon yarn maximized the tensile properties and produced the best quality laminate. To impart the best translational properties of the thermoplastic matrix to the carbon/thermoplastic composite, improvements are necessary in the commingling and powder infiltration processes.