In this paper, a device with high accuracy capacitive sensor (with the error of 0.1 micrometer) is constructed to measure the axial thermal expansion coefficent of the twisted carbon fibers and yarns of Kevlar. A theoretical model based on the thermal elasticity and the geometrical features of the twisted structure is also presented to predict the axial expansion coefficient. It is found that the twist angle, diameter and pitch have remarkable influences on the axial thermal expansion coefficients of the twisted carbon fibers and Kevlar strands, and the calculated results are in good agreement with experimental data. We found that, with the increase of the twist angle, the absolute value of the axial thermal expansion coefficient increases. For the Kevlar samples, the expansion coefficient will grow by about 46% when the twist angle increases from 0 to 25 degrees, while the carbon fiber samples will grow by about 72% when the twist angle increases from 0 to 35 degrees. The experimental measurements and the model calculations reveal important properties of the thermal expansion in the twisted structures. Most notably, the expansion of the strand during heating or cooling can be zero when the twist angle is around β = arcsin(αL/αT)^1/2, where β denotes twist angle of the strand and αL, αT are the longitute and the transverse thermal expansion coefficient of the strand, respectively. According to the present experiments and analyses, a method to control the axial thermal expansion coefficient of this new kind of twisted structure is proposed. Moreover, the mechanism of this tunable thermal expansion is discussed. Based on the model, a method that can be used to rectify the thermal expansion properties of the twist structures is established. This may be a new way of fabricating zero expansion composite materials in the future.
A five-fold interpenetrated metal–organic framework showing a large variation in thermal expansion behaviour owing to dramatic structural transformation upon dehydration–rehydration