Volume 15, Issue 6, 2006

EFFECT OF SEWING THREADS ON INTERLAMINAR SHEAR STRENGTH AND FLEXURAL BENDING STRENGTH OF STITCHED NON-CRIMP CARBON FABRIC LAMINATES

Peter Mitschang and Amol Ogale

Institut fuer Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH, Erwin-Schroedinger-Strasse 58, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany

Received 22 August 2006; accepted 26 October 2006

ABSTRACT
Interlaminar shear strength and flexural bending strength of stitched and non-stitched carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates were studied with reference to three different sewing threads. The preforms were stitched through-the-thickness by two different hybrid carbon fibre threads and a Zylon (polyphenylen-2,6-benzobisoxazol, PBO) thread with 16 stitches/cm2 stitch density. The short beam interlaminar shear strength of the laminate increases where as flexural bending strength of the laminate shows mixed results depending on the stitching direction. Carbon fibre threads show relatively less positive influence on the laminate properties than the PBO thread. The results of this study differ partly from the literature studies.

KEYWORDS: Stitching, preform, interlaminar shear strength, flexural strength, CFRP laminate