Mechanical Performance of Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Composite Textile Laminates Integrated with Graphene Nanosheets

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Abstract
This chapter discusses the fabrication and mechanical characterization of nano-engineered composite laminates fabricated using variable-thickness graphene sheets incorporated in non-crimp carbon fiber prepregs. The effect of graphene sheet thickness on interlaminar strength (Mode I fracture toughness) of the carbon fiber composites was evaluated. The graphene lattice structure used in the present research had linear and square grids. Linear grids were arranged parallel and perpendicular to the 0° fibers in the composite laminates and labeled as vertical and horizontal grid patterns, respectively. Mechanical characterization involved the study of the effects of sheet thickness and grid pattern with and without nanoengineered enhanced laminates at the midplane. The composite laminates fabricated using a lattice graphene structure had better interlaminar strength than those fabricated with straight graphene sheets. Nanoengineered sheets with minimal thickness showed better interlaminar strength than the thicker sheets. The polymer used to manufacture the graphene sheet could not bond with the epoxy used in the composite laminate. In the literature, when the graphene nanoparticles are dispersed in the epoxy, the challenge is a uniform distribution of the nanoparticles. To overcome this dispersion problem, sheets made using nanomaterials can be used to enhance the mechanical properties of the composite laminates.

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