scholarly journals Mesoscale Process Modeling of a Thick Pultruded Composite with Variability in Fiber Volume Fraction

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3763
Author(s):  
Onur Yuksel ◽  
Michael Sandberg ◽  
Jesper H. Hattel ◽  
Remko Akkerman ◽  
Ismet Baran

Pultruded fiber-reinforced polymer composites are susceptible to microstructural nonuniformity such as variability in fiber volume fraction (Vf), which can have a profound effect on process-induced residual stress. Until now, this effect of non-uniform Vf distribution has been hardly addressed in the process models. In the present study, we characterized the Vf distribution and accompanying nonuniformity in a unidirectional fiber-reinforced pultruded profile using optical light microscopy. The identified nonuniformity in Vf was subsequently implemented in a mesoscale thermal–chemical–mechanical process model, developed explicitly for the pultrusion process. In our process model, the constitutive material behavior was defined locally with respect to the corresponding fiber volume fraction value in different-sized representative volume elements. The effect of nonuniformity on the temperature and cure degree evolution, and residual stress was analyzed in depth. The results show that the nonuniformity in fiber volume fraction across the cross-section increased the absolute magnitude of the predicted residual stress, leading to a more scattered residual stress distribution. The observed Vf gradient promotes tensile residual stress at the core and compressive residual stress at the outer regions. Consequently, it is concluded that it is essential to take the effects of nonuniformity in fiber distribution into account for residual stress estimations, and the proposed numerical framework was found to be an efficient tool to study this aspect.

2021 ◽  
pp. 002199832110047
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Mohamed ◽  
Siddhartha Brahma ◽  
Haibin Ning ◽  
Selvum Pillay

Fiber prestressing during matrix curing can significantly improve the mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced polymer composites. One primary reason behind this improvement is the generated compressive residual stress within the cured matrix, which impedes cracks initiation and propagation. However, the prestressing force might diminish progressively with time due to the creep of the compressed matrix and the relaxation of the tensioned fiber. As a result, the initial compressive residual stress and the acquired improvement in mechanical properties are prone to decline over time. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the mechanical properties of the prestressed composites as time proceeds. This study monitors the change in the tensile and flexural properties of unidirectional prestressed glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites over a period of 12 months after manufacturing. The composites were prepared using three different fiber volume fractions 25%, 30%, and 40%. The results of mechanical testing showed that the prestressed composites acquired an initial increase up to 29% in the tensile properties and up to 32% in the flexural properties compared to the non-prestressed counterparts. Throughout the 12 months of study, the initial increase in both tensile and flexural strength showed a progressive reduction. The loss ratio of the initial increase was observed to be inversely proportional to the fiber volume fraction. For the prestressed composites fabricated with 25%, 30%, and 40% fiber volume fraction, the initial increase in tensile and flexural strength dropped by 29%, 25%, and 17%, respectively and by 34%, 26%, and 21%, respectively at the end of the study. Approximately 50% of the total loss took place over the first month after the manufacture, while after the sixth month, the reduction in mechanical properties became insignificant. Tensile modulus started to show a very slight reduction after the fourth/sixth month, while the flexural modulus reduction was observed from the beginning. Although the prestressed composites displayed time-dependent losses, their long-term mechanical properties still outperformed the non-prestressed counterparts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 879 ◽  
pp. 284-293
Author(s):  
Norliana Bakar ◽  
Siew Choo Chin

Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) made from synthetic fiber had been widely used for strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) structures in the past decades. Due to its high cost, detrimental to the environment and human health, natural fiber composites becoming the current alternatives towards a green and environmental friendly material. This paper presents an investigation on the mechanical properties of bamboo fiber reinforced composite (BFRC) with different types of resins. The BFRC specimens were prepared by hand lay-up method using epoxy and vinyl-ester resins. Bamboo fiber volume fractions, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45% and 50% was experimentally investigated by conducting tensile and flexural test, respectively. Results showed that the tensile and flexural strength of bamboo fiber reinforced epoxy composite (BFREC) was 63.2% greater than the bamboo fiber reinforced vinyl-ester composite (BFRVC). It was found that 45% of bamboo fiber volume fraction on BFREC exhibited the highest tensile strength compared to other BFRECs. Meanwhile, 40% bamboo fiber volume fraction of BFRVC showed the highest tensile strength between bamboo fiber volume fractions for BFRC using vinyl-ester resin. Studies showed that epoxy-based BFRC exhibited excellent results compared to the vinyl-ester-based composite. Further studies are required on using BFRC epoxy-based composite in various structural applications and strengthening purposes.


2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 726-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fariborz Majdzadeh ◽  
Sayed Mohamad Soleimani ◽  
Nemkumar Banthia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of fiber reinforcement on the shear capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) beams. Both steel and synthetic fibers at variable volume fractions were investigated. Two series of tests were performed: structural tests, where RC beams were tested to failure under an applied four-point load; and materials tests, where companion fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) prisms were tested under direct shear to obtain material properties such as shear strength and shear toughness. FRC test results indicated an almost linear increase in the shear strength of concrete with an increase in the fiber volume fraction. Fiber reinforcement enhanced the shear load capacity and shear deformation capacity of RC beams, but 1% fiber volume fraction was seen as optimal; no benefits were noted when the fiber volume fraction was increased beyond 1%. Finally, an equation is proposed to predict the shear capacity of RC beams.Key words: shear strength, fiber-reinforced concrete, RC beam, stirrups, energy absorption capacity, steel fiber, synthetic fiber.


Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 3335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seungwon Kim ◽  
Dong Joo Kim ◽  
Sung-Wook Kim ◽  
Cheolwoo Park

Concrete has high compressive strength, but low tensile strength, bending strength, toughness, low resistance to cracking, and brittle fracture characteristics. To overcome these problems, fiber-reinforced concrete, in which the strength of concrete is improved by inserting fibers, is being used. Recently, high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (HPFRCCs) have been extensively researched. The disadvantages of conventional concrete such as low tensile stress, strain capacity, and energy absorption capacity, have been overcome using HPFRCCs, but they have a weakness in that the fiber reinforcement has only 2% fiber volume fraction. In this study, slurry infiltrated fiber reinforced cementitious composites (SIFRCCs), which can maximize the fiber volume fraction (up to 8%), was developed, and an experimental study on the tensile behavior of SIFRCCs with varying fiber volume fractions (4%, 5%, and 6%) was carried out through direct tensile tests. The results showed that the specimen with high fiber volume fraction exhibited high direct tensile strength and improved brittleness. As per the results, the direct tensile strength is approximately 15.5 MPa, and the energy absorption capacity was excellent. Furthermore, the bridging effect of steel fibers induced strain hardening behavior and multiple cracks, which increased the direct tensile strength and energy absorption capacity.


Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 5326
Author(s):  
María Dolores Navarro-Mas ◽  
María Desamparados Meseguer ◽  
Joaquín Lluch-Cerezo ◽  
Juan Antonio García-Manrique

Delamination is one of the main problems that occur when machining fiber-reinforced composite materials. In this work, Types I and II of delamination are studied separately in edge trimming of basalt fiber reinforced plastic (BFRP). For this purpose, one-dimensional and area delamination parameters are defined. One-dimensional parameters (Wa and Wb) allow to know average fibers length while the analysis of area delamination parameters (Sd) allow to evaluate delamination density. To study delamination, different tests are carried out modifying cutting parameters (cutting speed, feed per tooth and depth of cut) and material characteristics (fiber volume fraction and fiber orientation). Laminates with a lower fiber volume fraction do not present delamination. Attending to one-dimensional parameters it can be concluded that Type II delamination is more important than Type I and that a high depth of cut generates higher values of delamination parameters. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) is performed to study area parameters. Although delamination has a random nature, for each depth of cut, more influence variables in area delamination are firstly, feed per tooth and secondly, cutting speed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 476-478 ◽  
pp. 1568-1571
Author(s):  
Ting Yi Zhang ◽  
Guang He Zheng ◽  
Ping Wang ◽  
Kai Zhang ◽  
Huai Sen Cai

Through the three-point bending test on the specimens of steel fiber reinforced high strength concrete (SFHSC), the effects of influencing factors including water-cement ratio (W/C) and the fiber volume fraction (ρf) upon the critical value(JC) of J integral were studied. The results show that the variation tendencies of JC are different under different factors. JC meets the linear statistical relation with W/C, ρf, respectively.


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