Experimental Study on the Effects of Thermal Cycling and Ultraviolet Irradiation on Stable Characteristics of Carbon
Zheng Zhang1,2, Xinyue Ji1, Min Sun1,2,3
1College of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China.
Abstract:
Carbon fiber/epoxy composites are widely used in aerospace due to their strength and ease of fab weatherrication, but they suffer from glass transition at high temperatures. In contrast, carbon fiber/bismaleimide composites exhibit superior thermal stability, irradiation resistance, and toughness. This study investigates the effects of thermal cycling and UV irradiation on carbon fiber/bismaleimide composite shells. Anti-symmetric shells with varying ply angles were tested under two-point tensile loading. Results show that these shells maintain stability between -70 °C and 180 °C, outperforming epoxy-based composites. This research offers valuable insights for aerospace applications of such bistable shells under thermal and UV aging conditions.
