THERMAL EXPANSION OF CARBON-FIBER ALUMINIUM COMPOSITES

In this investigation the thermal expansion measurments were made on carbon-fiber aluminium unidirectional composites by a standard contact-type dilaometer,The specimens are prepared by laying precursor carbon-Al wires and aluminium alloy foil (LD₂) alternately in a sandwich form and consolidating by hot-pressing at 50℃ below the matrix solidua temperature.These romposites contained fiber volume fractions of 0,27,32,34,39 and 46 percent.The thermal expansion measrurements were made at 0 and 90 centigrade degree to the fiber axis in the temperature range from room temperature(RT) to 400℃.The results showed that the thermal expansion coefficients (CTE) of carbon fiberaluminium composites are related to fiber variety,fiber volume fraction and measuring temperature range.Experimental mean values of the axial linear CTE were compared with calculated valuese,which showed that it could he described by a modification of the rule of the rule of mixtures expansion of composite.