Mechanical properties of non-crimp fabric (NCF) fiberglass reinforced composite materials manufactured by using vacuum infusion process

Abstract

Non-crimp fabric (NCF) fiber reinforced composite materials that are composed of textile preforms consisting of multiaxial layers of straight fiber bundles with different orientations stitched together by knitting yarns, manufactured by using vacuum infusion process (VIP) have recently gained attraction in primary engineering applications as they offer large potential for aerospace, marine and automotive industries due to their excellent performance and relatively low production cost. In this study, mechanical properties of NCF composites made from polyester resin and fiberglass reinforcement that have distinct fiber orientations, fiber volume fractions and stacking sequences are assessed by mechanical tension testing where a total of 75 specimens are subjected to tests. Besides, theoretical predictions for the engineering strengths, stiffnesses and strains of the manufactured laminates are obtained through micromechanics and classical lamination theory (CLT), these results are compared with corresponding experimental data. Possible causes of discrepancies between experimental data and theoretically predicted data are also discussed.