YANG Gang, SHEN Jian, ZHOU Zhengyang, et al. "Double-Double" layup thermoplastic laminates and their application potential in automotive structures[J]. Acta Materiae Compositae Sinica, 2024, 41(9): 4919-4931. DOI: 10.13801/j.cnki.fhclxb.20240801.001
Citation: YANG Gang, SHEN Jian, ZHOU Zhengyang, et al. "Double-Double" layup thermoplastic laminates and their application potential in automotive structures[J]. Acta Materiae Compositae Sinica, 2024, 41(9): 4919-4931. DOI: 10.13801/j.cnki.fhclxb.20240801.001

"Double-Double" layup thermoplastic laminates and their application potential in automotive structures

Funds: Research Fund for Foreign Scientists of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52350410457)
More Information
  • Received Date: May 30, 2024
  • Revised Date: July 14, 2024
  • Accepted Date: July 19, 2024
  • Available Online: July 31, 2024
  • The lightweight of automobile structures is an important way to reduce automobile energy consumption and increase cruising range. Although thermosetting matrix composites such as fiber reinforced epoxy have extremely high mechanical properties and lightweight potential, their applications in automotive structures are hindered by high manufacturing energy consumption, maintenance costs, and low design and manufacturing efficiency. A new type of "Double-Double" layup (DD) thermoplastic laminate ([±ФΨ]n) is expected to solve the above problems. This paper analyzed the advantages of DD laminates compared to π/4 laminates (Quad) in lightweight design, and compared the mechanical properties and design analysis processes of laminates with different layup methods (DD, Woven, Quad layups) and different matrix materials (thermosetting epoxy resin, thermoplastic nylon 6). The results showed that the stiffness and strength of high axial stiffness DD laminates in the main load direction were much higher than those of Woven laminates with the same fiber and matrix. The stiffness performance of DD laminates was similar to that of Quad laminates with the same fiber and matrix, but the design efficiency of DD laminates was higher than that of Quad laminates. At the same time, research on DD thermoplastic laminates of carbon fiber reinforced nylon 6 composites (carbon/PA6) found that although the tensile modulus and tensile strength of unidirectional carbon/PA6 were lower than those of unidirectional carbon/epoxy, DD carbon/PA6 laminates could still be designed through the layup so that the stiffness and strength in the main load direction exceeded that of Woven carbon/epoxy laminates. Moreover, themoplastic carbon/PA6 has excellent repairability and recyclability, showing its advantages in automobile structural design.
  • Objectives 

    Lightweight of automobile structures is an important way to reduce automobile energy consumption and increase driving range. However, the traditional layup method of fiber reinforced polymer composites (FRP) and thermosetting matrix have problems such as low lightweight level, low design efficiency, high energy consumption, poor recycling and repairability. This paper combined thermoplastic matrix and new layup methods to develop new FRP automotive materials with lightweight, efficient design, and low manufacturing, repair and recycling costs.

    Methods 

    This paper analyzed the advantages of DD laminates compared to π/4 laminates (Quad) in lightweight design. Through open-hole tension and three-point bending tests, the design efficiency, mechanical properties, lightweight level and damage pattern of laminates with different layup methods (DD, Woven, Quad) and different matrix (thermosetting epoxy resin, thermoplastic nylon 6) were compared.

    Results 

    DD laminates could achieve the required strength and stiffness according to the main load direction of the component by adjusting the two sets of ply angles to improve the degree of lightweight. For components with high axial stiffness design requirements, compared with Woven laminates, DD laminates could reduce thickness due to their higher stiffness and strength when using the same fiber and matrix, thereby reducing material usage and achieving lightweight. Even when using thermoplastic matrix composites with lower mechanical properties, DD layup thermoplastic laminates could still achieve lightweight by improving the load-bearing performance in certain direction through layup design. In terms of mechanical properties of open-hole tension and bending, the DD layup structure could replace the Quad layup structure by similar stiffness design.At the same time, DD laminates with a certain number of plies had the failure characteristics of homogeneous materials, and a small change in the design index would not significantly change the angle or sequence of the DD layup, which made the deformation and damage patterns of DD laminates regular, and thus the design efficiency was relatively high. The design efficiency of DD laminates was higher than that of Quad laminates, and the bending damage pattern of DD laminates and Quad laminates with similar stiffness designs showed that the delamination of the lower half of the quasi-homogeneous DD laminates was more dispersed and uniform, without large delamination; while the non-homogeneous Quad laminate had unpredictable large delamination near the 0° ply due to the mismatch of engineering properties between adjacent layers.In addition, compared with thermosetting matrix composites, fiber-reinforced thermoplastic matrix composites (FRTP) had high production efficiency, outstanding processability and reprocessability, and excellent repairability and recycling capabilities, so they could meet requirements of the automotive industry for rapid manufacturing and excellent repairability. Conclusions: "Double-Double" layup thermoplastic laminates (DD-FRTP) has advantages in lightweight (material cost), design efficiency, and manufacturing, repair, and recycling costs, and has the potential to be used in automotive structures.(1) The results of open-hole tension and three-point bending tests showed that when using the same fiber and matrix, the stiffness and strength of DD laminates with high axial stiffness in the main load direction were much higher than those of Woven laminates; the strength of DD laminates was similar to that of Quad laminates with similar stiffness designs, and the design efficiency of DD laminates was higher than that of Quad laminates. Therefore, DD laminates had the potential for high design efficiency and lightweight.(2) Even though the mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic nylon 6 composites (carbon/PA6) were lower than those of thermosetting carbon/epoxy, through DD layup design, the mechanical properties of DD carbon/PA6 laminates with high axial stiffness could still be higher than those of Woven carbon/epoxy laminates. At the same time, the "Double-Double" layup thermoplastic laminate had lower manufacturing, repair, and recycling costs.

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