Effects of braiding angle on modal experimental analysis of three-dimensional and five-directional braided composites

In this paper, the experimental modal analysis of three dimensional (3D) and five (5)-directional braided composite cantilever beams with different braiding angle was conducted systematically with a simple testing system. Preforms were made by four-step 1 x 1 square integral braiding method. The first three order modes of composite specimens were derived, which are different with braiding angles. The experimental result and mechanism were discussed. Experimental observations and analytical predictions show that the natural frequency of specimens decreased and the damping ratio of specimens increased when the braiding angle increased. Furthermore, specimens with smaller braiding angle will be valuable for the better anti-exiting property, and have an opposite effect on dissipation of vibration energy. The comparison between the specimens with different braiding angles reveals that braiding angle is a crucial factor for the vibration performance design of 3D and 5-directional braided composites. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.