Multiaxis multilayered non-interlaced/ non-Z E-Glass/polyester preform composites and determination of flexural properties by statistical model

Abstract

In this study, non-interlaced/non-Z single layer and multilayered uniaxial, biaxial and multiaxis preform structures were developed to produce E-Glass/polyester composite structures. The data generated from the flexural tests of the composite structures were analysed by using a regression model. The flexural strength of the E-Glass/polyester structures depended on yarn orientation and the number of layers. In addition, the flexural properties of the composite structures were proportional to their total fiber volume fractions. If all the E-Glass/polyester structures are produced with the same preform packing density, the structures made from coarse fiber show high flexural strength, compared to structures made from fine fiber, due to high fiber volume fraction. All structures showed mode-I type delamination failure which occurred in the out-of-plane direction as a form of interlayer splitting perpendicular to the applied bending load direction. Local interlayer failures were observed between warp/warp in uniaxial structures, warp/filling in biaxial structures and bias/bias and bias/filling in multiaxis structures due to the no-Z yarn reinforcement. The developed regression model was considered as a suitable and viable tool to predict the flexural properties of the composite structures.