INTERLEAVED POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITES - A REVIEW

摘要

State of art of thermoplastic interleaving of thermo-set polymer matrix composite (PMC) laminates to enhance its damage tolerance is reviewed. The review is confined to interlaminar fracture toughness of PMC laminates made from prepregs using autoclave process. Thermoplastic composites have many desirable properties but are brittle owing to a high cross-linking density. A compliant thermoplastic interlayer between the PMC plies potentially improves interlaminar fracture toughness. Three types of interleaving were found in literature, namely particle, film, and polymer nanofiber interleaves. The concept, mechanism of energy absorption, successful results, and challenges of the method are discussed. Thermoplastic polymer film and nanofiber interleaving methods are attractive but the success of the method depends on its compatibility with the base resin system. Simple test methods are suggested to assess the compatibility.