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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records

The oxidative stability of carbon fibre reinforced glass-matrix composites

The environmental stability of carbon fibre reinforced glass-matrix composites is assessed. Loss of composite strength due to oxidative exposure at elevated temperatures under no load, static load and cyclic fatigue as well as due to thermal cycling are all examined. It is determined that strength loss is gradual and predictable based on the oxidation of carbon fibres. The glass matrix was not found to prevent this degradation but simply to limit it to a gradual process progressing from the composite surfaces inward.

Prewo, K. M.↗

Elastoplastic transverse properties of a unidirectional fibre reinforced composite

An approximate theoretical study is made to predict the overall transverse elastoplastic properties of a unidirectional fibre reinforced composite. Based on the simplest deformation theory of plasticity, the overall transverse polyaxial elastoplastic constitutive equations for an incompressible composite are obtained. A simple formula is suggested to evaluate the average stress in the fibres. Furthermore, with the prediction of the overall transverse elastic moduli of a compressible composite, the overall transverse uniaxial stress-strain curve for a compressible composite in the entire elastic-plastic range is obtained. A detailed example is given for a Boron-Aluminum composite. Comparison is made with the experimental and theoretical work done by General Dynamics and Adams respectively.

Huang, W.-C.↗

The fracture of boron fibre-reinforced 6061 aluminium alloy

The fracture of 6061 aluminium alloy reinforced with unidirectional and cross-plied 0/90 deg, 0/90/+ or - 45 deg boron fibres has been investigated. The results have been described in terms of a critical stress intensity, K(Q). Critical stress intensity factors were obtained by substituting the failure stress and the initial crack length into the appropriate expression for K(Q). Values were obtained that depended on the dimensions of the specimens. It was therefore concluded that, for the size of specimen tested, the values of K(Q) did not reflect any basic materials property.

Wright, M. A.↗

A compliant, high failure strain, fibre-reinforced glass-matrix composite

A glass-matrix composite reinforced by discontinuous graphite fibers was produced by hot pressing glass-powder-impregnated two-dimensional arrays of in-plane randomly oriented graphite fibers held together by approximately 5-10% by weight of organic binder (generally polyester). The composite tensile behavior is characterized by a highly nonlinear stress-strain curve which differs markedly from that of either unreinforced glass or a similarly reinforced epoxy-matrix composite. By virtue of this nonlinearity, the composite is able to redistribute applied stresses to achieve a high load-carrying capacity. The fibrous microstructure and the low fiber-matrix bond provide a mechanism for achieving high fracture toughness and unusually high compliance. For a 96%-silica-matrix composite, the strength is retained to over 1000 C.

Prewo, K. M.↗

SEM/XPS analysis of fractured adhesively bonded graphite fibre-reinforced polyimide composites

The surfaces of the graphite fiber-reinforced polyimide composites presently pretreated prior to bonding with polyimide adhesive contained variable amounts of a fluoropolymer, as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Lap shear strengths were determined for unaged samples and for those aged over 500- and 1000-hour periods at 177 and 232 C. Unaged sample lap strengths, which were the highest obtained, exhibited no variation with surface pretreatment, but a significant decrease is noted with increasing aging temperature. These thermally aged samples, however, had increased surface fluorine concentration, while a minimal concentration was found in unaged samples. SEM demonstrated a progressive shift from cohesive to adhesive failure for elevated temperature-aged composites.

Devilbiss, T. A.↗

Hygrothermal effects on the mechanical behaviour of graphite fibre-reinforced epoxy laminates beyond initial failure

The critical load levels and associated cracking beyond which a multidirectional laminate can be considered as structurally failed has been determined by loading graphite fiber-reinforced epoxy laminates to different strain levels up to ultimate failure. Transverse matrix cracking was monitored by acoustic and optical methods. The residual stiffness and strength parallel and perpendicular to the cracks were determined and related to the environmental/loading history. Within the range of experimental conditions studied, it is concluded that the transverse cracking process does not have a crucial effect on the structural performance of multidirectional composite laminates.

Ishai, O.↗

Thermal cycling of tungsten-fibre-reinforced superalloy composites

The thermal cycling of a tungsten-fiber-reinforced superalloy (TFRS) composite is typical of its application in high-temperature engine environments. The mismatch in thermal expansion coefficients between fiber and matrix causes substantial longitudinal (0 deg) stresses in the composite, which can produce inelastic damage-producing matrix strains. The case of thermal fatigue is explored as a "worst case" of the possible matrix damage, in comparison with specimens which are also mechanically loaded in tension. The thermally generated cyclic stresses and the attendant matrix plasticity may be estimated using a nonlinear finite-element program, by proposing a physical analog to the micromechanics equations. A damage metric for the matrix is proposed using the Coffin-Manson criterion, which metric can facilitate comparisons of damage among different candidate materials, and also comparisons for a given material subjected to different temperature cycles. An experimental program was carried out for thermal cycling of a 37 vol pct TFRS composite to different maximum temperatures. The results confirm the prediction that thermal cycling produces matrix degradation and composite strength reduction, which become more pronounced with increasing maximum cyclic temperature. The strength of the fiber is shown to be identical for the as-fabricated and thermally cycled specimens, suggesting that the reduction in composite strength is due to the loss of matrix contribution and also to notching effects of the matrix voids on the fiber.

Wetherhold, Robert C.↗

Thermal effects on the mechanical properties of SiC fibre reinforced reaction-bonded silicon nitride matrix composites

The elevated temperature four-point flexural strength and the room temperature tensile and flexural strength properties after thermal shock were measured for ceramic composites consisting of 30 vol pct uniaxially aligned 142 micron diameter SiC fibers in a reaction bonded Si3N4 matrix. The elevated temperature strengths were measured after 15 min of exposure in air at temperatures to 1400 C. Thermal shock treatment was accomplished by heating the composite in air for 15 min at temperatures to 1200 C and then quenching in water at 25 C. The results indicate no significant loss in strength properties either at temperature or after thermal shock when compared with the strength data for composites in the as-fabricated condition.

Bhatt, R. T.↗

Numerical, micro-mechanical prediction of crack growth resistance in a fibre-reinforced/brittle matrix composite

Micromechanics fracture models are incorporated into three distinct fracture process zones which contribute to the crack growth resistance of fibrous composites. The frontal process zone includes microcracking, fiber debonding, and some fiber failure. The elastic process zone is related only to the linear elastic creation of new matrix and fiber fracture surfaces. The wake process zone includes fiber bridging, fiber pullout, and fiber breakage. The R-curve predictions of the model compare well with empirical results for a unidirectional, continuous fiber C/C composite. Separating the contributions of each process zone reveals the wake region to contain the dominant crack growth resistance mechanisms. Fractography showed the effects of the micromechanisms on the macroscopic fracture behavior.

Jenkins, Michael G.↗

Effect of HIPing on the effective thermal conductivity/diffusivity and the interfacial thermal conductance of uniaxial SiC fibre-reinforced RBSN

Hot isostatic pressing (HIPing) was found to increase the thermal diffusivity/conductivity of uniaxial silicon carbide fiber-reinforced reaction-bonded silicon nitride (RBSN) matrix composites, as the result of the densification of the matrix, the increase in the grain size of the silicon carbide and the improved thermal contact between the fibers and the matrix. Transverse to the fiber direction the thermal diffusivity/conductivity was found to be a function of the surrounding gaseous atmosphere due to the access of the gas phase to the fiber-matrix interface, which was facilitated by the existence of an interfacial gap due to the thermal expansion mismatch between the fibers and the matrix. The interfacial conductance was found to exhibit a strong positive temperature dependence as the result of the closure of the interfacial gap with increasing temperature.

Bhatt, H.↗

Steerable windowed enclosures

A gyro-stabilized mechanism that is to be carried on a vehicle, such as a helicopter, is provided with a protective enclosure consisting of a dome, usually of glass fibre reinforced plastic. The dome must be provided with a window transparent to the radiation involved, and this must be steered with the mechanism so that they remain in register with one another. Prior art structures employ elongated windows of sufficiently large size to accommodate the tilting and rolling of the mechanism, while pan movements are accommodated by rotating the entire dome. The invention provides a structure employing a small window that can be steered or slaved with the mechanism by rotation of the part of the dome including the window relative to the other part, which has the pan or yaw rotation motor connected to it. This rotation between the dome parts takes place in a skew plane disposed at as small a skew angle to the vertical as is possible, the compensation for the resulting transverse movement of the window being effected by a programmed rotation of the dome about the pan axis. Optically flat glass can then be used for the window, it can be coated to reduce reflections, etc, and it can also be wiped in operation to remove moisture. A broadcast antenna can be mounted on the part of the dome out of the line-of-sight of the apparatus.

John N Leavitt↗

Performance of "Waterless Concrete"

Waterless concrete consists of molten elementary sulfur and aggregate. The aggregates in a lunar environment will be lunar rocks and soil. Sulfur is present on the Moon in Troilite soil (FeS) and, by oxidation of the soil, iron and sulfur can be produced. Sulfur concrete specimens were cycled between liquid nitrogen (approx.]91 C) and room temperature (^21 C) to simulate exposure to a lunar environment. Cycled and control specimens were subsequently tested in compression at room temperatures (^21 C) and ^-101 C. Test results showed that due to temperature cycling, the compressive strength of cycled specimens was 20% of those non-cycled. This reduction in strength can be attributed to the large differences in thermal coefficients of expansion of the materials constituting the concrete which promoted cracking. Similar sulfur concrete mixtures were strengthened with short and long glass fibres. The lunar regolith simulant was melted in a 25 cc Pt- Rh crucible in a Sybron Thermoline high temperature MoSi2 furnace at melting temperatures of 1450 to 1600 C for times of 30 min to i hour. Glass fibres and small rods were pulled from the melt. The glass fibres were used to reinforce sulfur concrete plated to improve the flexural strength of the sulfur concrete. Beams strengthened with glass fibres showed to exhibit an increase in the flexural strength by as much as 45%.

Toutanji, H. A.↗

SEM/XPS analysis of fractured adhesively bonded graphite fibre surface resin-rich/graphite fibre composites

Samples of graphite fiber-reinforced polyimide were fabricated allowing the resin to accumulate at the composite surface. These surface resin-rich composites were then bonded together and tested for lap shear strength both before and after thermal aging. Lap shear strength did not appear to show a significant improvement over that previously recorded for resin-poor samples and was shown to decrease with increasing aging time and temperature.

Devilbiss, T. A.↗

Effective thermal conductivity of composites with fibre-matrix debonding

Debonding of the fiber-matrix interface is a major cause for the degradation of the mechanical properties and the loss of thermal conductivity of fiber-reinforced composites. This paper discusses two analytical approaches for modeling the thermal conduction problem of composites. One is based on the concept of modeling the thermal barrier by an equivalent heat transfer coefficient at the fiber-matrix interface, as described by Hasselman and Johnson (1987) and Benveniste and Miloh (1986). The other approach, suggested by Hatta and Taya (1986), is by treating a composite with debonded interface as a coated-fiber composite. The major advantage of the latter aproach is that the thickness of the fiber coating can be realistically modeled depending upon the extent of degradation of the composite with the thermal conductivity of the coating as that of air.

Fadale, T. D.↗

Micro-area Auger analysis of a SiC/Ti fibre composite

Micro-area Auger electron spectroscopy with a spatial resolution of less than 50 nm has been used to study the concentration of elements across the reaction zone of a W-reinforced SiC fiber in a titanium matrix. Although the elemental concentrations obtained by this technique are affected by the reaction zone morphology to a greater extent than in the case of X-ray microprobe analysis, the proposed technique has the advantage of a much higher spatial resolution and avoids the problems of bulk averaging that characterize the X-ray technique.

Zironi, E. P.↗

Investigation of interfacial shear strength in a SiC fibre/Ti-24Al-11Nb composite by a fibre push-out technique

A fiber push-out technique applied at several sample thicknesses was used to determine both the debond shear stress and the frictional shear stress at the fiber-matrix interface at room temperautre for a unidirectional SiC fiber-reinforced T-24Al-11Nb (in at. pct) composite prepared by a powder cloth technique. The push-out technique measures the separate contributions of bond strength and friction to the mechanical shear strength at the fiber-matrix interface. It was found that the fiber-matrix bond shear strength of this material is significantly higher than the fiber-matrix frictional shear stress (119.2 and 47.8 MPa, respectively).

Eldridge, J. I.↗