Description

A carbon fiber composite consisting of unidirectional carbon tape and epoxy and a sandwich composite consisting of a polyether polyurethane core, E-glass fibers and epoxy was fabricated. The carbon fiber composite was subjected to a tensile test while the sandwich composite was subjected to a three-point bend test. Part of the fabricated carbon fiber composite was fractured and placed under a scanning electron microscope.

Data from the tests was used to determine material properties such as Young’s modulus, core shear stress and facing bending stress. The experimental values were then compared with theoretical values. The microscopy was used to obtain pictures of the composite which in turn were used to obtain volume fractions of the fibers and the matrix.

Differences between the theoretical and experimental values were attributed to either improper fabrication techniques or improper data analysis. Future recommendations involve spending more time on composite fabrication as well as experimentation with more than two specimen and with different configurations for the composites.