Initial assessment of alternative carbon fiber geometries for design of cost-effective compressive performance: Size effect studies

Norris, Robert E.; Ennis, Brandon L.; Clarke, Ryan J.; Miller, David A.; Samborsky, Daniel D.; Xiong, Fue; Camarena, Ernesto

doi:10.1016/j.compositesb.2025.112181

Initial assessment of alternative carbon fiber geometries for design of cost-effective compressive performance: Size effect studies

Journal Article · Mon Jan 27 23:00:00 EST 2025 · Composites. Part B, Engineering

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2025.112181· OSTI ID:2516803

^[1]; ^[2]; ^[2]; Miller, David A. ^[3]; Samborsky, Daniel D. ^[3]; Xiong, Fue ^[2]; ^[1]

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States)

Carbon fiber provides opportunity to reduce weight in structural composites, including wind turbine blades, due to the material's superior specific stiffness and specific strength compared to alternatives. Despite these advantages, cost and compressive performance are considered weaknesses for carbon fiber products available today. Studies to produce low-cost carbon fiber alternatives, including the use of textile-derived precursor systems, have shown progress and merit through the DOE/ORNL low-cost carbon fiber initiatives. Here, this work focuses on enabling increases in compressive strength through design of the carbon fiber geometry, applicable to both textile and conventional precursor systems, while also providing opportunities to reduce carbon fiber processing costs. Fiber-resin interface and fiber alignment are among the most frequently cited factors controlling composite compressive performance. However, it is believed that there is opportunity in traditionally unexplored routes to increasing compressive strength through alteration of the carbon fiber geometry by increasing the fiber area moment of inertia and/or the fiber perimeter and interfacial area. This paper presents initial results from manufacturing carbon fiber materials to assess the impacts of carbon fiber size on tested composite compressive performance with projected neutral or even beneficial impact on fiber and composite manufacturing economics. Carbon fiber systems with increasing size illustrate a favorable correlation for compressive performance greater than predicted from a micromechanical failure model. The manufacturing and mechanical test results support the hypothesis of this work that alterations to fiber geometry can be used to produce improvements of the compressive strength of carbon fiber reinforced polymers and provide incentive for related work in designing alternative shapes to further enhance compressive performance.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Wind Energy Technologies Office; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Water Power Technologies Office; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO)

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0003525; AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 2516803

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2538444

Report Number(s):: SAND--2025-01745J

Journal Information:: Composites. Part B, Engineering, Journal Name: Composites. Part B, Engineering Vol. 296; ISSN 1359-8368

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (14)

Micromechanics Budiansky, Bernard Computers & Structures, Vol. 16, Issue 1-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/0045-7949(83)90141-4	journal	January 1983
Measurement of small angle fiber misalignments in continuous fiber composites Yurgartis, S. W. Composites Science and Technology, Vol. 30, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1016/0266-3538(87)90016-9	journal	January 1987
Compressive failure of composites, part I: Testing and micromechanical theories Schultheisz, Carl R.; Waas, Anthony M. Progress in Aerospace Sciences, Vol. 32, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/0376-0421(94)00002-3	journal	January 1996
Fracture of Composites Argon, A. S. Treatise on Materials Science & Technology https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-341801-2.50007-2	book	January 1972
A structural approach of plastic microbuckling in long fibre composites: comparison with theoretical and experimental results Drapier, S.; Grandidier, J. -C.; Potier-Ferry, M. International Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol. 38, Issue 22-23 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0020-7683(00)00247-X	journal	May 2001
Past, present and future prospective of global carbon fibre composite developments and applications Zhang, Jin; Lin, Gang; Vaidya, Uday Composites Part B: Engineering, Vol. 250 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2022.110463	journal	February 2023
A micromechanical model for kink-band formation: Part II—Analytical modelling Pimenta, S.; Gutkin, R.; Pinho, S. T. Composites Science and Technology, Vol. 69, Issue 7-8 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2009.02.003	journal	June 2009
Development of a compressive failure model for carbon fiber composites and associated uncertainties Camarena, Ernesto; Clarke, Ryan J.; Ennis, Brandon L. Composites Science and Technology, Vol. 211 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2021.108855	journal	July 2021
Compressive strength improvements from noncircular carbon fibers: A numerical study Camarena, Ernesto; Clarke, Ryan J.; Ennis, Brandon L. Composites Science and Technology, Vol. 242 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2023.110168	journal	September 2023
A fibre direction compressive failure criterion for long fibre laminates at ply scale, including stacking sequence and laminate thickness effects Grandidier, J. -C.; Casari, P.; Jochum, C. Composite Structures, Vol. 94, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2012.06.013	journal	December 2012
Experimental and computational analysis of failure mechanisms in unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced polymer laminates under longitudinal compression loading Sun, Qingping; Guo, Haiding; Zhou, Guowei Composite Structures, Vol. 203 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2018.06.028	journal	November 2018
Compressive strength prediction of carbon fiber-reinforced pultruded profiles including realistic volumetric fiber orientations Ferguson, O. V.; Skovsgaard, S. P. H.; Jensen, H. M. European Journal of Mechanics - A/Solids, Vol. 104 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euromechsol.2023.105011	journal	March 2024
The Effect of Fibre Waviness on the Relationship between Compressive and Flexural Strengths of Unidirectional Composites Wisnom, Michael R. Journal of Composite Materials, Vol. 28, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1177/002199839402800105	journal	January 1994
Microbuckling Failure of Circular Fiber-Reinforced Composites Greszczuk, L. B. AIAA Journal, Vol. 13, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.2514/3.60544	journal	October 1975

Similar Records

Identification of the optimal carbon fiber shape for cost-specific compressive performance

Journal Article · Sat Aug 27 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Materials Today Communications · OSTI ID:1887408

Optimized Carbon Fiber Composites in Wind Turbine Blade Design: Follow-On Studies

Technical Report · Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · OSTI ID:2430157

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
A. Carbon fiber
Compressive strength
D. Mechanical testing
E. Fiber conversion processes

Initial assessment of alternative carbon fiber geometries for design of cost-effective compressive performance: Size effect studies

Citation Formats

References (14)

Similar Records

Related Subjects