PROCESSING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL 3-D WOVEN COMPOSITES

摘要

This paper presents information on the weaving, processing, and performance of 3-D orthogonal woven reinforced composites made by the 3Weave~(TM) process. The 3Weave~(TM) process is especially suited to low-cost weaving of thick preforms with minimal fiber damage. The resulting fabric structure combines essentially zero in-plane crimp (for high in-plane strengths) with integral through-thickness fiber reinforcement, for delamination suppression and improved interlaminar strengths. The 3Weave~(TM) structure is especially suited to resin transfer molding (RTM). Comparisons with conventional, 2-D textiles such as plain weaves and reinforced knits show 3Weave~(TM) fabrics wet out up to twice as fast, with about the same fiber volume fraction. Impact performance in 3Weave~(TM) composites is uniformly improved over 2-D laminates, both at drop tower and at ballistic speeds, in terms of damage localization, penetration energy and delamination suppression. Finally, the low fiber distortion inherent in the 3Weave~(TM) structure leads to predictable basic mechanical properties, allowing many effective designs to be generated quickly. 3Weave~(TM) composites thus offer the promise of efficiently designed and produced preforms with low-cost processing, yielding composites with enhanced in-plane mechanical properties and dramatically improved impact performance.