Design, Development, and Characterization of Advanced Textile Structural Hollow Composites

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Textile Engineering
• Composite Materials

Background:

• Traditional composite reinforcements often use chopped fibers.
• There is a growing need for sustainable and high-performance composite materials.
• Woven textile preforms offer potential for enhanced structural integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop woven textile-based structural hollow composites.
• To investigate the performance of different woven fabric preforms (UD, 2D, 3D) and spacer structures.
• To evaluate the mechanical properties of composites reinforced with these novel preforms.

Main Methods:

• Production of E-Glass, polyester, and cotton shoddy multifilament yarns.
• Development of unidirectional (UD), 2D, and 3D woven fabric preforms.
• Fabrication of 3D woven spacer fabric preforms with varying cross-link geometries.
• Composite manufacturing using vacuum-assisted resin infusion.
• Mechanical characterization including impact energy absorption and compression testing.

Main Results:

• Transitioning from chopped fibers to 3D woven fabric reinforcement significantly increased modulus and ductility.
• The number of crossover points in weave structures correlated positively with impact energy absorption and formability.
• 3D woven spacer composites exhibited superior performance compared to sandwich structures.
• Honeycomb composites with smaller cell sizes and more layers showed higher specific compression energy.

Conclusions:

• Woven textile-based composites, particularly 3D structures, offer substantial improvements in mechanical performance.
• The design of weave architecture, including crossover points and spacer geometry, is critical for optimizing composite properties.
• These materials show promise for applications in automotive, wind energy, marine, and aerospace industries.
• Recycled cotton shoddy presents a viable sustainable reinforcement option.