Flexural strength of compression molded carbon fiber/cyanate ester composite material
Abstract
This thesis describes the results of a study intended to investigate the Flexural strength of a new experimental chopped-carbon-fiber and cyanate ester compression molded compound. This compound has been given the designation MS-4F. This study first developed a compression molding technique designed to manufacture specimens that net an ASTM specification. The compression molding parameter temperature was varied to observe the effects on the Flexural strength of the resulting material. The specimens were tested in an Instron machine to obtain load-deflection and stress-strain curves for the material. In total, ten specimens were tested to the breaking point. Examination of the material failure characteristics indicated that different failure mechanisms are produced depending on the compression molding temperature. It was determined that the optimal compression molding parameters in terms of temperature and pressure were about 850 psi of pressure and a temperature of 310 °F. Flexural strengths for this material were found to be in the range of 90-100 ksi. It was found that the ultimate strength in tension is about one-third of the flexural strength. This is attributed to the unique characteristics of this chopped fiber material. This characteristic of the material makes it suitable for aerospace applications where the component is subject predominantly to bending stresses. An example of such an application would be control surfaces on missiles.
Subject Area
Mechanical engineering|Materials science
Recommended Citation
Nimmakayala, Chandra Mouli, "Flexural strength of compression molded carbon fiber/cyanate ester composite material" (2006). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI1435309.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI1435309