Effects of Layer Nesting on Compression-Loaded 2-D Woven Textile Composites

Abstract

Layer nesting refers to the interaction between neighboring fabric layers of a textile composite laminate. Idealized layer nesting configurations were investigated in five-harness satin weave carbon/epoxy laminates under static compression loading. A methodology was developed to fabricate three idealized nesting cases: stacked, split-span, and diagonal. All three idealized nesting cases produced reductions in compressive strength and ultimate strain when compared to the conventional randomly-nested laminates. The diagonal nesting geometry produced the largest strength reductions. Finite element results showed consistent strength reduction trends for the idealized nesting cases; however, the magnitudes of compressive strengths were overpredicted. These results suggest that regions of idealized nesting in conventional woven composites, particularly diagonal nesting, may be sites of failure initiation. Additionally, differences in compressive strength associated with idealized nesting configurations may explain the considerable scatter observed in compressive strength for these materials.