• Verleysen, Patricia
• Elmahdy, Ahmed

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to study and compare the mechanical behavior of woven basalt and woven glass epoxy composites at high strain rates, in order to assess the possibility of replacing glass fiber composites with basalt fiber composites for aircraft secondary structures, such as radomes, fairings, wing tips, etc. Both composites were produced using the same epoxy matrix, the same manufacturing technique, and with comparable densities, fiber volume fractions, and static stiffnesses. Dynamic tensile and shear experiments were performed using a split Hopkinson tension bar, in addition to reference quasi-static experiments to compare both material behaviors over a wide range of strain rates. Normalized results with respect to the material density and fiber volume fraction showed that basalt epoxy composite had higher elastic stiffness, ultimate tensile strength, ultimate tensile strain, and absorbed energy in tension compared to glass epoxy composite. This suggests a promising potential in replacing glass fibers composites with basalt fiber composites in aircraft secondary structures and, more generally, components prone to impact. However, for the basalt epoxy composite, improvements in the fiber-matrix adhesion and in the manufacturing technique are still required to enhance their shear properties compared to glass fiber composites, and fully exploit the potential of basalt epoxy composites in aeronautical applications.

Topics

• density
• impedance spectroscopy
• experiment
• glass
• glass
• strength
• composite
• tensile strength
• woven