Processing and Properties of Carbon/Nylon Thermoplastic Composites Made by Commingled Tows and Micro-braided Tows

摘要

Properties of composites made by commingled tows and two different forms of micro-braided thermoplastic composite precursors are determined. The commingled tow is a Carbon/PA12 system made by Schappe Techniques in France and the micro-braided tow is a Carbon/PA66 system made in Japan. Unidirectional laminates are manufactured using compression molding and applying tension to the tows during consolidation. Consolidation quality is examined with fiber volume content, void content and microscopy. Mechanical properties are determined using axial and transverse 3 point flexural testing. The impregnation quality is compared to the mechanical properties. It is found that time and pressure required for the impregnation of commingled yarns are lower than for micro-braided materials. More generally, it is found that reducing the impregnation distance in changing the mingling method greatly enhance impregnation performance.