HYBRID METALLIC AND COMPOSITE STRUCTURES

摘要

Hybrid aluminum and composite beams and tubes were designed, fabricated and tested in bending and axial compressive crushing. The objective was to increase the specific performance, stiffness per weight and energy absorbed per weight, of an aluminum structure through the addition of an outer surrounding layer of composite fiber. The hybrid beams were c channels fabricated by wrapping graphite fiber and room cure epoxy around the inner aluminum and cure inside a vacuum bag. The surface was cleaned through abrasion and solvent wipes. The hybrid tubes were hollow circular cross sections and manufactured with the same fibers inside a vacuum bag. This surface was treated by a novel surface treatment involving the removal of the oxidized surface with a stainless steel brush and arc cleaning with a TIG torch. The results of stiffness and energy absorption were compared to aluminum structures. For the crushing test there was evidence of success with the novel surface treatment when the fibers remained intact at the bottom of the tube where catastrophic failure did not occur.