STUDIES ON TENSILE PROPERTIES OF BRAIDED STRUCTURAL COMPOSITE MATERIALS

The tensile experiments have been done for the 4D(fourdirection) and 5D (fivedirection) braided composites. Their mechanical properties are investigated from the macroscopic view and some principal mechanical properties as well as thier deformational characteristics are obtained at the same time. On the basis of tensile experiments, the SEM analyses of tensile broken specimens have been conducted. The failure mechanism of braided composites is discussed from the microscopic view, by which some important conclusions are drawn. These results can provide an experimental basis for further studies on failure problems of braided composites.