MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE OF 2-D BRAIDED CARBON EPOXY COMPOSITES/

Tension, shear, and compression tests were conducted to evaluate the m echanical performance of two-dimensional braided carbon/epoxy composit es. Several different braid architectures were considered and their pe rformance compared with those of carbon/epoxy composites made from uni directional fabrics and prepreg tape. From this comparison, it was fou nd that braided composites have comparable tension and compression sti ffness but considerably reduced tension and compression strength which was attributed to fibre damage and fibre tow waviness. Tension tests on fibre tows revealed a 20% reduction in tension strength resulting f rom fibre damage during the braiding process. Results from shear tests remain inconclusive due to the unsuitability of current test methods. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.