CHARACTERIZATION OF FUNCTIONALLY GRADIENT EPOXY CARBON FIBER-COMPOSITE PREPARED UNDER CENTRIFUGAL FORCE/

Centrifugal force was employed in order to induce a spatial gradient o f fibre distribution in the epoxy/carbon fibre system. The gradient st ructure of the epoxy/carbon fibre composite can be controlled by varyi ng the rotation time and the material parameters, such as fibre length , fibre content and matrix viscosity. The spatial gradient distributio n of carbon fibres in an epoxy matrix was achieved by the combined mec hanism of packing and settling. The mechanical properties of the funct ionally gradient epoxy/carbon fibre composite were also investigated. At the same content of carbon fibre, the flexural strength of the func tionally gradient composite was higher than that of conventional isotr opic composite.