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At least 307 records · Page 17

Large-scale carbon fiber tests

A realistic release of carbon fibers was established by burning a minimum of 45 kg of carbon fiber composite aircraft structural components in each of five large scale, outdoor aviation jet fuel fire tests. This release was quantified by several independent assessments with various instruments developed specifically for these tests. The most likely values for the mass of single carbon fibers released ranged from 0.2 percent of the initial mass of carbon fiber for the source tests (zero wind velocity) to a maximum of 0.6 percent of the initial carbon fiber mass for dissemination tests (5 to 6 m/s wind velocity). Mean fiber lengths for fibers greater than 1 mm in length ranged from 2.5 to 3.5 mm. Mean diameters ranged from 3.6 to 5.3 micrometers which was indicative of significant oxidation. Footprints of downwind dissemination of the fire released fibers were measured to 19.1 km from the fire.

Pride, R. A.↗

Ion-exchange hollow fibers

An ion-exchange hollow fiber is prepared by introducing into the wall of the fiber polymerizable liquid monomers, and polymerizing the monomers therein to form solid, insoluble, crosslinked, ion-exchange resin particles which embed in the wall of the fiber. Excess particles blocking the central passage or bore of the fiber are removed by forcing liquid through the fiber. The fibers have high ion-exchange capacity, a practical wall permeability and good mechanical strength even with very thin wall dimensions. Experimental investigation of bundles of ion-exchange hollow fibers attached to a header assembly have shown the fiber to be very efficient in removing counterions from solution.

Rembaum, A.↗

Ultra-high modulus organic fiber hybrid composites

An experimental organic fiber, designated Fiber D, was characterized, and its performance as a reinforcement for composites was investigated. The fiber has a modulus of 172 GPa, tensile strength of 3.14 GPa, and density of 1.46 gm/cu cm. Unidirectional Fiber D/epoxy laminates containing 60 percent fiber by volume were evaluated in flexure, shear, and compression, at room temperature and 121 C in both the as fabricated condition and after humidity aging for 14 days at 95 percent RH and 82 C. A modulus of 94.1 GPa, flexure strength of 700 MPa, shear strength of 54 MPa, and compressive strength of 232 MPa were observed at room temperature. The as-fabricated composites at elevated temperature and humidity aged material at room temperature had properties 1 to 20 percent below these values. Combined humidity aging plus evaluated temperature testing resulted in even lower mechanical properties. Hybrid composite laminates of Fiber D with Fiber FP alumina or Thornel 300 graphite fiber were also evaluated and significant increases in modulus, flexure, and compressive strengths were observed.

Champion, A. R.↗

Carbon-fiber technology

The state of the art of PAN based carbon fiber manufacture and the science of fiber behavior is surveyed. A review is given of the stabilization by oxidation and the subsequent carbonization of fibers, of the apparent structure of fibers deduced from scanning electron microscopy, from X-ray scattering, and from similarities with soft carbons, and of the known relations between fiber properties and heat treatment temperature. A simplified model is invoked to explain the electrical properties of fibers and recent quantum chemical calculations on atomic clusters are used to elucidate some aspects of fiber conductivity. Some effects of intercalation and oxidative modification of finished fibers are summarized.

Hansen, C. F.↗

Investigation of fiber bridging in double cantilever beam specimens

The possibility to eliminate fiber bridging or at least to reduce it, and to evaluate an alternative approach for determination of in situ mode 7 fracture toughness values of composite matrix materials were investigated. Double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens were made using unidirectional lay-ups of T6C/Hx205 composite material in which the delaminating halves were placed at angles of 0, 1.5, and 3 degrees to each other. The small angles between the delaminating plies were used to avoid fiber nesting without significantly affecting mode I teflon insert. The DCB specimens were fabricated and it was found that: (1) the extent which fiber bridging and interlaminar toughness increase with crack length can be reduced by slight cross ply at the delamination plane to reduce fiber nesting; (2) some fiber bridging may occur even in the absence of fiber nesting; (3) the first values of toughness measured ahead of the thin teflon insert are very close to the toughness of the matrix material with no fiber bridging; (4) thin adhesive bondline of matrix material appears to give toughness values equal to the interlaminar toughness of the composite matrix without fiber bridging.

Johnson, W. S.↗

The milling of pristine and brominated P-100 graphite fibers

Techniques were developed for the ball milling of pristine and brominated P-100 graphite fibers. Because of the lubrication properties of graphite, large ball loads (50 percent by volume) were required. Use of 2-propanol as a milling medium enhanced the efficiency of the process. Milled brominated P-100 fibers had resistivities which were indistinguishable from milled pristine P-100 fibers. Apparent loss of bromine from the brominated fibers suggests that bromine would not be the intercalate of choice in applications where milled fibers of this type are required. Other intercalates which do not degas may be more appropriate for a milled fiber application. These same results, however, do provide evidence that bromine molecules leave the fiber surface when removed from overpressure of bromine. While exploring possible solvent media for milling purposes, it was found that brominated fibers are stable in a wide variety of organic solvents.

Dillehay, M. E.↗

Innovative design of composite structures: Use of curvilinear fiber format to improve structural efficiency

To increase the effectiveness and efficiency of fiber-reinforced materials, the use of fibers in a curvilinear rather than the traditional straightline format is explored. The capacity of a laminated square plate with a central circular hole loaded in tension is investigated. The orientation of the fibers is chosen so that the fibers in a particular layer are aligned with the principle stress directions in that layer. Finite elements and an iteration scheme are used to find the fiber orientation. A noninteracting maximum strain criterion is used to predict load capacity. The load capacities of several plates with different curvilinear fibers format are compared with the capacities of more conventional straightline format designs. It is found that the most practical curvilinear design sandwiches a group of fibers in a curvilinear format between a pair of +/-45 degree layers. This design has a 60% greater load capacity than a conventional quasi-isotropic design with the same number of layers. The +/-45 degree layers are necessary to prevent matrix cracking in the curvilinear layers due to stresses perpendicular to the fibers in those layers. Greater efficiencies are achievable with composite structures than now realized.

Hyer, M. W.↗

Effect of fiber anisotropy on thermal stresses in fibrous composites

An elasticity solution is utilized to analyze an orthotropic fiber in an isotropic matrix under uniform thermal load. The analysis reveals that stress distributions in the fiber are singular in the radial coordinate when the radial fiber stiffness (C-rr) is greater than the hoop stiffness (C-theta-theta). Conversely, if C-rr is less than C-theta-theta the maximum stress in the composite is finite and occurs at the fiber-matrix interface. In both cases the stress distributions are radically different than those predicted assuming the fiber to be transversely isotropic (C-rr = C-theta-theta). It is also shown that fiber volume fraction greatly influences the stress distribution for transversely isotropic fibers, but has little effect on the distribution if the fibers are transversely orthotropic.

Avery, W. B.↗

Investigation of fiber bridging in double cantilever beam specimens

The possibility to eliminate fiber bridging or at least to reduce it, and to evaluate an alternative approach for determination of in situ mode 7 fracture toughness values of composite matrix materials were investigated. Double cantilver beam (DCB) specimens were made using unidirectional lay-ups of T6C/Hx205 composite material in which the delaminating halves were placed at angles of 0, 1.5, and 3 degrees to each other. The small angles between the delaminating plies were used to avoid fiber nesting without significantly affecting mode I teflon insert. The DCB specimens were fabricated and it was found that: (1) the extent which fiber bridging and interlaminar toughness increase with crack length can be reduced by slight cross ply at the delamination plane to reduce fiber nesting; (2) some fiber bridging may occur even in the absence of fiber nesting; (3) the first values of toughness measured ahead of the thin teflon insert are very close to the toughness of the matrix material with no fiber bridging; (4) thin adhesive bondline of matrix material appears to give toughness values equal to the interlaminar toughness of the composite matrix without fiber bridging.

Johnson, W. S.↗

Pressure effects on the thermal stability of SiC fibers

Commercially available polymer derived SiC fibers were treated at temperatures from 1000 to 2200 C in vacuum and argon gas pressure of 1 and 1360 atm. Effects of gas pressure on the thermal stability of the fibers were determined through property comparison between the pressure treated fibers and vacuum treated fibers. Investigation of the thermal stability included studies of the fiber microstructure, weight loss, grain growth, and tensile strength. The 1360 atm argon gas treatment was found to shift the onset of fiber weight loss from 1200 to above 1500 C. Grain growth and tensile strength degradation were correlated with weight loss and were thus also inhibited by high pressure treatments. Additional heat treatment in 1 atm argon of the fibers initially treated at 1360 atm argon caused further weight loss and tensile strength degradation, thus indicating that high pressure inert gas conditions would be effective only in delaying fiber strength degradation. However, if the high gas pressure could be maintained throughout composite fabrication, then the composites could be processed at higher temperatures.

Jaskowiak, Martha H.↗

A fiber-resin micromechanics analysis of the delamination front in a DCB specimen

A 3-D finite element model was developed to analyze the fiber-resin behavior near the delamination front in a graphite-epoxy double cantilever beam (DCB) specimen. The specimen interior was analyzed using a typical one-fiber slice, represented by a local 3-D fiber-resin model. The resin stresses were computed for the resin-rich layer at the ply interface as well as for the regions between the fibers close to the delamination front. However, the computed strain energy release rate G sub I along the delamination front varied by less than two percent, and was within about four percent of the plane-strain value. The von Mises yield criterion was used to estimate the extent of yielding near the delamination front. The yielding extended ahead of the delamination and also developed between the fibers. Although the fibers had only a negligible effect on G sub I, they caused yielding within the ply and therefore could influence delamination fracture toughness. The normal and shear stresses at the fiber-resin interface were computed near the delamination front. These results suggest that multi-axial stress criteria may be required to analyze fiber-resin interfaces.

Crews, J. H.↗

Thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity and specific heat of copper-carbon fiber composite

We have developed a new copper-carbon fiber composite which possesses properties of copper, i.e., excellent thermal and electrical conductivities, in combination with a property of carbon fiber, i.e., a small thermal expansion coefficient. The composite properties can be controlled by the amount, type and orientation of the carbon fibers they contain. Therefore, this composite is considered to be useful as an electrical material. The effects of volume and arrangement of fibers on the thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity and specific heat of the composite were studied. The results obtained were as follows: (1) The thermal and electrical conductivities of the composite became smaller as the volume of carbon fibers increased, and they were also influenced by the fiber arrangement. (2) The above conductivities could be calculated by careful application of the “rule of mixtures” for composites. (3) The specific heat of the composite was dependent not on the fiber arrangement but on the fiber volume. (4) In thermal fatigue tests, no degradation in electrical conductivity was observed.

Keiichi Kuniya↗

Fiber optic and laser sensors IV; Proceedings of the Meeting, Cambridge, MA, Sept. 22-24, 1986

The conference presents papers on industrial uses of fiber optic sensors, point and distributed polarimetric optical fiber sensors, fiber optic electric field sensor technology, micromachined resonant structures, single-mode fibers for sensing applications, and measurement techniques for magnetic field gradient detection. Consideration is also given to electric field meter and temperature measurement techniques for the power industry, the calibration of high-temperature fiber-optic microbend pressure transducers, and interferometric sensors for dc measurands. Other topics include the recognition of colors and collision avoidance in robotics using optical fiber sensors, the loss compensation of intensity-modulating fiber-optic sensors, and an embedded optical fiber strain tensor for composite structure applications.

De Paula, Ramon P.↗

Synthesis, electrical and thermal conductivities, and potential applications of graphite fluoride fibers

Graphite fluoride fibers can be produced by fluorinating pristine or intercalated graphite fibers. The higher the degree of graphitization of the fibers, the higher the temperature needed to reach the same degree of fluorination. Structural damage during high temperature fluorination can be reduced or eliminated by pretreating the fibers with bromine and/or fluorine. The electrical resistivity of the fibers was in the 0.01 to 10 to the 11th ohm-cm range. The thermal conductivity of these fibers ranged from 5 to 75 W/m-K, which is much larger than the thermal conductivity of glass (1.1 W/m-K), the commonly used fiber in epoxy composites. A composite made from graphite fluoride fibers and epoxy or PTFE may be highly thermally conducting and electrically insulating or semiconducting. The electrically insulating product may be used as heat sinks for electrical or electronic instruments.

Hung, Ching-Cheh↗

Differential scanning calorimetric survey of brominated PAN, pitch-based and vapor-grown fibers

A differential scanning calorimetric survey of brominated PAN, pitch-based and vapor-grown fibers revealed that only vapor-grown fibers heat-treated to temperatures of 2250 C or above exhibited the phase change at 100 C associated with the two-dimensional melting of bromine, similar to that observed in HOPG. All the pitch-based fibers tested, as well as vapor-grown fibers annealed to 2250 C, showed a substantial decrease in resistivity upon bromination but gave no indication of a phase change, suggesting that the bromine in these fibers does not have the long-range order needed to undergo two-dimensional melting. The brominated PAN fibers and unannealed vapor-grown fibers showed no phase change and no change in resistivity, indicating that these fibers do not intercalate bromine.

Jaworske, D. A.↗

Use of curvilinear fiber format to increase structural efficiency

To increase the effectiveness and efficiency of fiber-reinforced materials, the use of fibers in a curvilinear rather than the traditional straightline format is explored. The capacity of a laminated square plate with a central circular hole loaded in tension is investigated. The orientation of the fibers is chosen so that the fibers in a particular layer are aligned with the principle stress directions in that layer. Finite elements and an iteration scheme are used to find the fiber orientation. A noninteracting maximum strain criterion is used to predict load capacity. The load capacities of several plates with different curvilinear fibers format are compared with the capacities of more conventional straightline format designs. It is found that the most practical curvilinear design sandwiches a group of fibers in a curvilinear format between a pair of +/-45 degree layers. This design has a 60 percent greater load capacity than a conventional quasi-isotropic design with the same number of layers. The +/-45 degree layers are necessary to prevent matrix cracking in the curvilinear layers due to stresses perpendicular to the fibers in those layers. Greater efficiencies are achievable with composite structures than now realized.

Hyer, M. W.↗

Pressure effects on the thermal stability of silicon carbide fibers

Commercially available polymer derived SiC fibers were treated at temperatures from 1000 to 2200 C in vacuum and argon gas pressure of 1 and 1360 atm. Effects of gas pressure on the thermal stability of the fibers were determined through property comparison between the pressure treated fibers and vacuum treated fibers. Investigation of the thermal stability included studies of the fiber microstructure, weight loss, grain growth, and tensile strength. The 1360 atm argon gas treatment was found to shift the onset of fiber weight loss from 1200 to above 1500 C. Grain growth and tensile strength degradation were correlated with weight loss and were thus also inhibited by high pressure treatments. Additional heat treatment in 1 atm argon of the fibers initially treated at 1360 atm argon caused further weight loss and tensile strength degradation, thus indicating that high pressure inert gas conditions would be effective only in delaying fiber strength degradation. However, if the high gas pressure could be maintained throughout composite fabrication, then the composites could be processed at higher temperatures.

Jaskowiak, Martha H.↗

Contractile function of single muscle fibers after hindlimb suspension

The effects of two weeks of hind-limb suspension (HS) on the functional properties of slow-twitch and fast-twitch single fibers isolated from the predominantly slow-twitch soleus and fast-twitch gastrocnemius of the suspended leg of rats were investigated. Single fibers were suspended between a motor arm and force transducer, and, after their functional properties were studied, the fiber type was established by the myosin heavy chain analysis. It was found that, after HS, the greatest decrease in diameter and a reduction in peak tension occurred in slow-twitch fibers from soleus, followed by slow-twitch fibers from gastrocnemius. Fast-twitch fibers from the red gastrocnemius showed a significant reduction in diameter but no change in peak tension. No effect of HS was observed on the diameter of the fast-twitch fibers from the white gastsrocnemius (which is known to contain 87 percent fast glycolytic fibers).

Gardetto, P. R.↗