Abstract
Abstract
Energy absorption is achieved by the combination of various fracture mechanisms such as fibre fracture, delamination, and central crack. However, serious problems would arise if this energy absorption ability were compromised by brittle crack propagation of the cross-sectional central part. In a previous study, the use of flexible resin with lower stiffness and higher toughness than the resin generally used was suggested as a method to restrain brittle crack propagation. In this study, hybrid braided fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) tubes were fabricated according to the previous study involving FRP rods. In this case, the flexible resin was applied to middle-end-fibre. The energy absorption characteristics and crushing mechanisms based on precise cross-sectional observation of the crush zone of the braided FRP tubes with or without the presence of flexible resin in middle-end-fibre were investigated. It was found that braided FRP tubes with or without the presence of flexible resin in middle-end-fibre were investigated. It was found that braided FRP tube with a 30° braiding angle, together with the presence of flexible resins, shows significant improvement in terms of energy absorption ability. The added flexibility of the tubes owing to the addition of flexible resin in turn causes short cracks, more fibre breakage, and consequently enhanced energy absorption properties.
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