Use of pultruded carbon fiber / epoxy inserts as reinforcement in composite structures

dc.contributor.advisorChairperson, Graduate Committee: Douglas S. Cairnsen
dc.contributor.authorBundy, Bryan Charlesen
dc.date.accessioned2013-06-25T18:42:15Z
dc.date.available2013-06-25T18:42:15Z
dc.date.issued2005en
dc.description.abstractAs polymer matrix composite based structures such as wind turbine blades get larger in span, the required stiffness is usually supplied by the increasing thickness. The fabrication of current composite thicknesses is expensive in terms of labor, mechanical components and fabrication time. The problems are compounded for very long spans. Thermosetting resins are injected into these fiber pre-forms under very high pressures so the resin can completely encase the fibers before the resin hardens. These pressures can induce waviness into the fibers that significantly reduces the critical compression properties of these large composites. Pultruded composites are a possible solution to boost the compression properties and enable thinner, more optimized blade designs. The nature of the pultrusion process creates a highly aligned and evenly spaced fiber microstructure that is difficult to move under resin infusion pressures. The issue of efficient load transfer between the pultrusion surface and a secondary resin used to bind the pultrusion in a larger composite structure is the primary focus of this study. The pultrusion surfaces were modified by abrasion, erosion, and wet chemical oxidation techniques. The interfaces of the rods after treatment were tested in two methods. First, the pullout test consisting of pulling a pultruded rod out of block of epoxy was tried. Second, a pushout test consisting of pushing out a center rod in a representative volume element of a pultruded rod based structure was used. The effectiveness measure of the surface treatments was interface shear strength The results of the interface tests indicate that erosion surface treatments enable the largest increases in interface shear strength. Chemical surface oxidation had the lowest shear strengths, less than the untreated rod coupons. Pultruded carbon fiber composites have potential as supplemental reinforcement in larger composite structures. Erosion surface treatments are concluded to be the best at short term interface shear strength boosting, however the untreated rod performed adequately with having surface damage inflicted. Chemical oxidation has the promise of enabling long term interface strength and stablility through carbon fiber energization.en
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/1010en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherMontana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineeringen
dc.rights.holderCopyright 2005 by Bryan Charles Bundyen
dc.subject.lcshComposite materialsen
dc.subject.lcshPultrusionen
dc.titleUse of pultruded carbon fiber / epoxy inserts as reinforcement in composite structuresen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.catalog.ckey1197098en
thesis.degree.committeemembersMembers, Graduate Committee: John Mandell; Theodore Langen
thesis.degree.departmentMechanical & Industrial Engineering.en
thesis.degree.genreThesisen
thesis.degree.nameMSen
thesis.format.extentfirstpage1en
thesis.format.extentlastpage307en

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
BundyB0506.pdf
Size:
42.76 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Copyright (c) 2002-2022, LYRASIS. All rights reserved.