Effect of Fiber Architecture on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites

The selection of textile fabrics for producing polymer composites significantly affects their structural performance, yet but there is a lack of experience about which fabric type is optimal under specific loading conditions. In this study, carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites were fabricated using unidirectional (UD, cross-ply), biaxial (BA, 0-90 degrees), and plain-woven (PW) textile fabrics. The effects of fiber architecture were compared based on physical and mechanical properties. All composites were produced using the vacuum bagging method, with identical manufacturing conditions for each fabric type. The PW composites demonstrated superior bending properties, showing 45.42% and 71.21% higher strength than compared to the UD and BA composites, respectively. Additionally, it had the highest fiber volume fraction (49.30 vol%), experimental density (1.46 g/cm3), and the lowest void content (1.75 vol%). These advantages are attributed to interlaced fiber yarns in both warp and fill directions. In contrast, the BA composite had the highest void content (6.44 vol%), leading to reduced bending strength due to increased stress concentration. However, UD and BA composites provided higher flatwise impact properties than the PW composite by 86.97% and 58.27%, respectively. The straightness of the fibers in each layer contributed to greater impact energy absorption, while the crimp form of the PW fibers resulted in the lowest energy. However, interlacing fiber yarns in PW fabric improved through-thickness (out-of-plane) strength in edgewise impact tests. The stitched form of BA fabric also enhanced through-thickness strength compared to UD fiber fabric. Microscopic examinations further supported these findings and allowed for the addressing of failure modes of the composites.