TY - JOUR
T1 - Cellulose nanocrystal-polyetherimide hybrid nanofibrous interleaves for enhanced interlaminar fracture toughness of carbon fibre/epoxy composites
AU - Wang, Jing
AU - Pozegic, Thomas
AU - Xu, Zhen
AU - Nigmatullin, Rinat
AU - Harniman, Robert
AU - Eichhorn, Stephen J.
PY - 2019/9/29
Y1 - 2019/9/29
N2 - The effect of electrospun cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs)-polyetherimide (PEI) hybrid nanofibrous mats on Mode I and Mode II interlaminar fracture toughness of unidirectional carbon/epoxy composite laminates is demonstrated. It is shown that the CNCs reinforced PEI nanofibrillar interleaves result in a ~28% increase in Mode I initial fracture toughness values compared to neat PEI nanofibrous interleaves. Specifically, the interrelated micro- and nano-scale toughening mechanisms including carbon fibre bridging, fibre necking, fibre rupture with CNCs aggregates, and nanofibre rupture contributed to the fracture toughness improvements under Mode-I loading. Nano-scale mechanisms of shear hackles, and crack pinning by CNCs aggregates increased the Mode II fracture toughness up to ~3 kJ/m2 as a result of a 6 wt.% CNCs reinforced PEI nanofibrillar mat interleaves. Interleaving laminated composites with electrospun CNCs-PEI hybrid nanofibrillar mats has been demonstrated as a novel and prospective strategy to strengthen and toughen interlaminar zones of carbon/epoxy composite laminates.
AB - The effect of electrospun cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs)-polyetherimide (PEI) hybrid nanofibrous mats on Mode I and Mode II interlaminar fracture toughness of unidirectional carbon/epoxy composite laminates is demonstrated. It is shown that the CNCs reinforced PEI nanofibrillar interleaves result in a ~28% increase in Mode I initial fracture toughness values compared to neat PEI nanofibrous interleaves. Specifically, the interrelated micro- and nano-scale toughening mechanisms including carbon fibre bridging, fibre necking, fibre rupture with CNCs aggregates, and nanofibre rupture contributed to the fracture toughness improvements under Mode-I loading. Nano-scale mechanisms of shear hackles, and crack pinning by CNCs aggregates increased the Mode II fracture toughness up to ~3 kJ/m2 as a result of a 6 wt.% CNCs reinforced PEI nanofibrillar mat interleaves. Interleaving laminated composites with electrospun CNCs-PEI hybrid nanofibrillar mats has been demonstrated as a novel and prospective strategy to strengthen and toughen interlaminar zones of carbon/epoxy composite laminates.
KW - Cellulose nanocrystals
KW - Electrospinning
KW - Fracture toughness
KW - Delamination
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85069569652&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.compscitech.2019.107744
DO - 10.1016/j.compscitech.2019.107744
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
AN - SCOPUS:85069569652
SN - 0266-3538
VL - 182
JO - Composites Science and Technology
JF - Composites Science and Technology
M1 - 107744
ER -