Interply friction between unidirectional carbon/epoxy prepreg plies: Influence of fibre orientation

This work investigates the role of fibre orientation on interply friction. Interply friction tests were performed on a novel snap-cure unidirectional (UD) carbon/epoxy prepreg for five fibre orientations over a broad range of normal pressures and sliding speeds. The test method used closely mimicked the actual processing condition of the prepreg prior to forming including consolidation of the interface. The results show that fibre orientation of the prepreg has a large influence on interply friction. In fact, interply friction for various fibre orientation combinations varies substantially both in magnitude and behaviour of the curve. Further, the range of this variation is dependent on processing conditions such as consolidation, normal pressure and sliding speed. These findings make a strong case for including direction dependent friction models in forming simulations and presents opportunities to tailor the laminate stacking sequence for better forming outcomes.

Automated summary

This study investigates the influence of fibre orientation on interply friction. Interply friction tests were conducted on a unique snap-cure unidirectional carbon/epoxy prepreg, with five different fibre orientations. The results demonstrate that fibre orientation significantly affects interply friction, with substantial variations in magnitude and behavior of the friction curves for different fibre orientation combinations. It is suggested that direction-dependent friction models should be incorporated in forming simulations, and the findings offer opportunities for optimizing laminate stacking sequences for better forming outcomes.