Mechanical properties evaluation of T800 carbon fiber reinforced hybrid composite embedded with silicon carbide microparticles: A micromechanical approach
Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures
ISSN: 1573-6105
Article publication date: 10 April 2018
Issue publication date: 7 August 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of the addition of silicon carbide (SiC) microparticles and their contributions regarding the tensile and shear properties of the T800 fiber reinforced polymer composite at various fiber volume fractions. The tensile and shear properties of the hybrid composites where continuous T800 fibers are used as reinforcements in an epoxy matrix embedded with SiC microparticles have been studied.
Design/methodology/approach
The results were obtained by implementing a micromechanics approach assuming a uniform distribution of reinforcements and considering one unit cell from the whole array. Using the two-step homogenization process, the properties of the materials were determined by using the finite element analysis (FEA). The predicted elastic properties from FEA were compared with the analytical results. The analytical models were implemented in the MATLAB Software. The FEA was performed in ANSYS APDL.
Findings
The mechanical properties of the hybrid composite had increased when compared with the properties of the conventional FRP. The results suggest that SiC particles are a good reinforcement for enhancing the transverse and shear properties of the considered fiber reinforced epoxy composite. The microparticle embedment has significant effect on the transverse tensile properties as well as in-plane and out-of-plane shear properties.
Research limitations/implications
This is significant because improving the properties of the composite materials using different methods is of high interest in the materials community. Using this study people can work on the process of including different type of microparticles in to their composite designs and improve their performance characteristics. The major influence of the particles can be seen only at lower volume fractions of the fiber in the composite. Only FEA and analytical methods were used for the study.
Practical implications
Material property improvements lead to more advanced designs for aerospace and defense structures, which allow for high performance under unpredictable conditions.
Originality/value
This type of study proves that the embedment of different microparticles is a method that can be used for improving the properties of the composite materials. The improvement of the transverse and shear properties will be useful especially in the design of shell structures in the different engineering applications.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank P. Sarath Chandra for providing support for completing this work. This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Citation
Potluri, R. (2018), "Mechanical properties evaluation of T800 carbon fiber reinforced hybrid composite embedded with silicon carbide microparticles: A micromechanical approach", Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 589-608. https://doi.org/10.1108/MMMS-09-2017-0106
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited