Composites Manufacturing and Testing
Composites Manufacturing and Testing
Embedded Files
Composite Layup | Tensile Testing | Data Analysis
Composite Layup | Tensile Testing | Data Analysis
Challenge
Challenge
Our four-person team manufactured a carbon-fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate using a two-ply wet layup without vacuum consolidation or external heat. We then machined the cured plate into tensile specimens and evaluated the relationship between manufacturing consistency, fiber content, stiffness, strength, and failure behavior.
Manufacturing and Test Process
Manufacturing and Test Process
Prepared two carbon-fiber plies and mixed 80 g of resin with 16 g of hardener.
Manually impregnated and consolidated the laminate under weighted metal plates.
Cured the 7 × 10 in laminate at room temperature for at least 24 hours.
Machined three nominal 1 × 9 in tensile specimens and measured their cross sections.
Performed static tensile testing and calculated stress, strain, modulus, and ultimate strength.
Results
Results
Fiber weight fraction: 60.3%
Average longitudinal Young’s modulus: 30,649 MPa
Modulus standard deviation: 578 MPa
Average ultimate tensile strength: 710 MPa
Failure behavior: Brittle transverse fracture with fiber breakage, matrix cracking, and local delamination
Interpretation
Interpretation
Across the laboratory groups, higher fiber fraction generally corresponded with greater stiffness and strength, although the correlation was limited by manufacturing variation. Voids, surface ripples, fiber alignment, resin distribution, and grip-region damage all affected the results. A future process would use vacuum bagging and more uniform resin removal to reduce void content and surface defects while maintaining complete fiber wet-out.
My Report Contributions:
My Report Contributions:
Figures 6.1-6.6
Tables 6.1-6.4
Technical Writing
Chapter 6 (Experimental Results and Discussion)
Chapter 1 (Introduction)
Abstract
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