Material property characterization of glass and carbon/vinyl ester composites

The present paper describes the processing and the mechanical characterization of two different fibers (glass and carbon) and two different fabric architectures (woven roving and stitch bonded) made into composites with Dow Chemical's Derakane 510A-40, a brominated vinyl ester resin. Both E-glass and T700 carbon fibers were coated with vinyl ester compatible sizing. Composite panels were fabricated by vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM), specimens were machined, and mechanical tests were conducted as per the accepted test standards. Tension, compression, in-plane shear and inter-laminar shear properties were measured and their associated failure modes were compared with each other. The specific properties of the composites were compared with that of marine steel. The carbon composites have superior properties. The carbon composites have higher specific strength and specific modulus than marine steel. The glass composites have higher specific strength but lower specific modulus than marine steel. The glass composites are well suited for constructing ship hulls which are only strength critical. The topside (upper) structures of ship are stiffness critical. The carbon composites are applicable to both topside and hull structures of the ship to reduce the total weight. The straightness of the fiber and the FOE sizing are the possible reasons for the superior performance of the carbon composites. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.