Creep and Residual Properties of Filament-Wound Composite Rings under Radial Compression in Harsh Environments

This work focuses on the viscoelastic response of carbon/epoxy filament-wound composite rings under radial compressive loading in harsh environments. The composites are exposed to three hygro-thermo-mechanical conditions: (i) pure mechanical loading, (ii) mechanical loading in a wet environment and (iii) mechanical loading under hygrothermal conditioning at 40 degrees C. Dedicated equipment was built to carry out the creep experiments. Quasi-static mechanical tests are performed before and after creep tests to evaluate the residual properties of the rings. The samples are tested in (i) radial compression, (ii) axial compression, and (iii) hoop tensile strength. Different laminates wound at off-axis orientations are manufactured via filament winding and analyzed. Key results show that creep displacement is affected by both hygrothermal and mechanical conditionings, especially at a higher temperature. Moreover, residual properties are quantified showing that creep generates permanent damage in the cylinders.

Automated summary

The study focuses on the viscoelastic response and residual properties of carbon/epoxy filament-wound composite rings under compressive loading in harsh environments. Results indicate that creep displacement is influenced by both hygrothermal and mechanical conditions, with a greater impact at higher temperatures. Creep generates permanent damage in the cylinders.