Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Numerical simulation on thermal expansion coefficient of 3D braided C/C composites

  • Published:
Rare Metals Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To effectively get the thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) of three-dimensional (3D) braided C/C composites and study the variations, a VC++ program with graphical user interfaces was obtained, based on the yarn unit model and numerical analysis. With the limited basic properties of carbon fibers and carbon matrix, CTE of 3D braided C/C composites is obtained at 85 °C. The deviation between the simulated and experimental axial CTE of 3D braided C/C composites is no more than 11 %. The effects of different parameters (including the braiding angle of 3D braided preform, the fiber volume fraction and the porosity of 3D braided C/C composites, and the elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio and CTEs of carbon fibers and carbon matrix) were analyzed with the program. The results show that the axial CTE of C/C composites decreases with the increase of the braiding angle, the fiber volume fraction, and the porosity of 3D braided C/C composites. The transverse elastic modulus of carbon fibers has the greatest effect on the axial CTE among the studied mechanical parameters, followed by the elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio of carbon matrix.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Li HJ, Luo RY, Yang Z. The status and future on research and application about carbon/carbon composites in the aeronautical area. J Mater Eng. 1997;8:8.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Li HJ, Zeng XR, Li KZ. Some considerations on the R&D of carbon/carbon composites. Carbon Technol. 2001;11(4):8.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Li HJ. Carbon/carbon composites. New Carbon Mater. 2001;16(2):79.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Zhu JL, Shi XH, Chen ZS, Li HJ. Crack morphology and distribution of SiC coating on carbon/carbon composites. Chin J Rare Met. 2012;36(3):423.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Zhao JG, Li KZ, Li HJ. Thermal expansion properties of carbon/carbon composites. Trans Mater Heat Treat. 2006;27(6):1.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Liao XL, Li HJ, Xu WF. Study on the thermal expansion properties of C/C composites. J Mater Sci. 2007;42(10):3435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Luo RY, Liu T, Li JS. Thermophysical properties of carbon/carbon composites and physical mechanism of thermal expansion and thermal conductivity. Carbon. 2004;42(14):2887.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Manocha LM, Warrier A, Manocha S, Sathiyamoorthy D, Banerjee S. Thermophysical properties of densified pitch based carbon/carbon materials-I, unidirectional composites. Carbon. 2006;44(3):480.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Zhang MZ, Li HJ. Automatically generated geometric description of 3D braided rectangle preform. Comput Mater Sci. 2007;39(4):836.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Byun JH, Chou TW. Process-microstructure relationship of 2-step and 4-step braided composites. Compos Sci Technol. 1996;56(3):235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Chen L, Tao XM, Choy CL. On the microstructure of three-dimensional braided preforms. Compos Sci Technol. 1999;59(3):391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Wang YQ, Sun XK. Digital-element of textile processes. Compos Sci Technol. 2001;61(2):311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Zeng T, Wu LZ, Guo LC. A finite element model for failure analysis of 3D braided composites. Mater Sci Eng A. 2004;366(1):144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Miao YY, Zhou E, Wang YQ. Mechanics of textile composites: micro-geometry. Compos Sci Technol. 2008;68(7–8):1671.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Ishikawa T, Chou TW. In-plane thermal expansion and thermal bending coefficient of fabric composites. J Compos Mater. 1983;17(2):92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Yang JM, Ma CL, Chou TW. Fiber inclination model of three-dimensional textile structural composites. J Compos Mater. 1986;20(9):473.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Chen L, Tao XM, Choy CL. Mechanical analysis of 3-D braided composites by the finite multiphase element method. Compos Sci Technol. 1999;59(16):2383.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Sun XK, Sun CJ. Mechanical properties of three-dimensional braided composites. Compos Struct. 2004;65(3–4):485.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Rosen BW, Hashin Z. Effective thermal expansion coefficients and specific heats of composite materials. Int J Eng Sci. 1970;8(2):157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Hashin Z. Analysis of properties of fiber composites with anisotropic constituents. J Appl Mech. 1979;46(9):543.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Shapery RA. Thermal expansion coefficients of composites materials based on energy principles. J Compos Mater. 1968;2(3):380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Bowles DE, Tompkins SS. Prediction of coefficients of thermal expansion for unidirectional composites. J Compos Mater. 1989;23(4):370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Strife JR, Prewo KM. The thermal expansion behavior of unidirectional and bidirectional Kevlar/Epoxy composites. J Compos Mater. 1979;13(4):264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Gommers B, Verpoest I, VanHoutte P. Modeling the elastic properties of knitted-fabric-reinforce composites. Compos Sci Technol. 1996;56(6):685.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Huang ZM. Composite Materials in the Micromechanics. Beijing: Science Press; 2004. 10.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Cheng W, Zhao SG, Liu ZG. Thermal property of 3D braided fiber composites: experimental and numerical results. Acta Aeronaut Et Astronaut Sin. 2002;23(2):102.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 50832004 and 50972120), and the 111 Project (No. B08040).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Carbon/Carbon Composites Research Center, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, 710072, China

    Chun-Xia Hu, He-Jun Li & Shou-Yang Zhang

  2. School of Mechatronic Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, 710072, China

    Yong-Shan Song

Authors
  1. Chun-Xia Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. He-Jun Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Shou-Yang Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yong-Shan Song
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to He-Jun Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hu, CX., Li, HJ., Zhang, SY. et al. Numerical simulation on thermal expansion coefficient of 3D braided C/C composites. Rare Met. 33, 99–106 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12598-013-0083-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12598-013-0083-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation