Determination of transverse and shear moduli of single carbon fibres
Journal article, 2020

Carbon fibres are extensively used for their high specific mechanical properties. Exploiting their high
axial stiffness and strength, they are employed to reinforce polymer matrix materials in advanced
composites. However, carbon fibres are not isotropic. Data of the elastic properties in the other directions
of the fibres are still largely unknown. Furthermore, standardised methods to characterise these properties
are lacking. In the present work, we propose a methodology to determine the transverse and shear
moduli of single carbon fibres. An experimental procedure is developed to fabricate high-quality, flat
fibre cross-sections in both longitudinal and transverse directions using Focused Ion Beam, which gives
full control of the specimen geometry. Indentation modulus on those surfaces are obtained using both
Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and nanoindentation tests. Hysteresis was found to occur in the
nanoindentation tests. The hysteresis response was due to nano-buckling and reversible shear deformation
of the carbon crystals. For this reason, indentation tests using AFM is recommended. From the
AFM indentation tests the transverse and shear moduli of three different carbon fibres (IMS65, T800 and
M60J) are successfully determined.

Author

Shanghong Duan

Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science, Material and Computational Mechanics

Fang Liu

Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science, Materials and manufacture

Torbjörn Pettersson

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

Claudia Creighton

Deakin University

Leif Asp

Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science, Material and Computational Mechanics

Carbon

0008-6223 (ISSN)

Vol. 158C 772-782

Structural pOweR CompositEs foR futurE civil aiRcraft (SORCERER)

European Commission (EC) (EC/H2020/738085), 2017-02-01 -- 2020-02-28.

Damage Tolerance and Durability of Structural Power Composites

US Air Force Office of Strategic Research (AFOSR) (FA9550-17-1-0338), 2017-09-30 -- 2020-09-29.

Driving Forces

Sustainable development

Innovation and entrepreneurship

Areas of Advance

Transport

Materials Science

Subject Categories

Paper, Pulp and Fiber Technology

Other Materials Engineering

Composite Science and Engineering

Infrastructure

Chalmers Materials Analysis Laboratory

DOI

10.1016/j.carbon.2019.11.054

More information

Latest update

3/2/2022 2