Assessing models for the prediction of mechanical properties for the recycled short fibre composites

Abstract

Processing of polymer fibre composites has a remarkable influence on their mechanical performance. These mechanical properties are even more influenced when using recycled reinforcement. Therefore, we place particular attention on the evaluation of micromechanical models to estimate the mechanical properties and compare them against the experimental results of the manufactured composites from recycled carbon fibre material. For the manufacturing process, an epoxy matrix and carbon fibre production cut-offs as reinforcing material are incorporated using a vacuum infusion process. In addition, continuous textile reinforcement in combination with the epoxy matrix is used as reference material to evaluate the degradation of mechanical performance of the recycled composite. The experimental results show higher degradation of the composite strength compared to the stiffness properties. Observations from the modelling also show the same trend as the deviation between the theoretical and experimental results is lower for stiffness comparisons than the strength calculations. Yet still, good mechanical performance for specific applications can be expected from these materials.

A Study to Investigate the Mechanical Properties of Recycled Carbon Fibre/Glass Fibre-Reinforced Epoxy Composites Using a Novel Thermal Recycling Process

“…With a higher fibre content (60 wt% rCF) and continuous UD composites, even a minor fibre misalignment by 10 • will result in a strength loss of up to 50%. This strength loss does not have an impact on the YM of the composites [29][30][31][32]. Even though the fibres appeared to be UD, the varying results between each sample from the population, as represented as error bars in Figure 8, suggest the possibility of fibre misalignment.…”

Effects of manufacturing on the structural performance of composites in vacuum assisted resin transfer molding

“…The calculated mechanical properties range are listed in Table (5) where the properties for the first and last sections of each specimen are listed and have the biggest difference due to the resin pressure difference prediction by Moldex3D from inlet to the outlet.…”

“…The effect of defects due to manufacturing processes on the structural performance of polymer matrix composites is well known. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Quantifying these effects through simulation of the manufacturing processes and directly mapping them onto structural analysis remains a challenge. The simulation of the complex physics of some manufacturing processes is not yet entirely satisfactory.…”

Limited strength of short fiber composites: Identification of variables affecting the critical fiber length

“…1,2 These materials have been employed in the transportation sector of structural components, and, as a consequence, waste materials are disposed during and at the end of the manufacturing processes. 3,4 The final disposal of plastics including composites has been in landfills, incineration, and energy recovering. [5][6][7] During manufacturing process, the cutting operation process generates all sorts of sizes and geometric forms of fiber waste material, which lately has been reused as a randomly oriented loose chip form.…”

“…1,2 These materials have been employed in the transportation sector of structural components, and, as a consequence, waste materials are disposed during and at the end of the manufacturing processes. 3,4 The final disposal of plastics including composites has been in landfills, incineration, and energy recovering. 5–7…”