Compaction behaviour of continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites under rapid processing conditions

This investigation presents a methodology for the characterisation of thermoplastic composite materials under rapid processing conditions, as is needed for understanding the flow mechanisms in Unidirectional (UD) tapes. A bespoke compaction rig was designed and constructed to carry out a series of high temperature ramp-dwell loading experiments on CF/PPS (Carbon Fibre/Polyphenylene Sulphide) and CF/PEEK (Carbon Fibre/Polyetheretherketone) specimens. Significant deformations were observed above the melting points, where further increases in temperature led to gradually smaller through-thickness displacements and larger in-plane deformations. A phenomenological material model, initially developed for toughened thermosets, was applied, to assess its suitability for predicting the through-thickness behaviour of thermoplastic composites across a range of temperatures and pressures. The modelling approach was then deployed in Finite Element (FE) simulations of the compacted specimens, making use of the extracted parameters from the experimental tests.

Automated summary

This study introduces a methodology for characterizing thermoplastic composite materials under rapid processing conditions, with significant deformations observed during high temperature experiments. A phenomenological material model developed for toughened thermosets was applied and Finite Element simulations were conducted on compacted specimens.