Study on mechanical properties of unidirectional continuous carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK composites fabricated by the wrapped yarn method

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanical properties of unidirectional continuous carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK (CCF/PEEK) composites via the wrapped yarn method and to obtain optimum fabrication conditions. The composite plates were fabricated at different processing conditions and their mechanical properties (i.e., tensile, bending and short beam shear strength performance) were investigated in terms of thermal and fracture morphology characterizations. As the molding temperature and molding time increased, the mechanical properties of the composites enhanced due to the improved impregnation of the fibers, although there was potential matrix degradation. Moreover, slow cooling rate had little effect on the mechanical properties of the composites. Therefore, to obtain a combination of excellent mechanical properties and high production efficiency, a relatively high molding temperature, sufficient molding time and moderate cooling rate were optimal for the CCF/PEEK fabricated by the wrapped yarn method. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:56-69, 2019. (c) 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers