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Carbon mat thermoplastics (CMT) consisting of 12.7 mm or 25.4 mm long, 7.2 micrometer diameter, chopped carbon fibers in a polypropylene (PP) or poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) thermoplastic matrix were manufactured using the wetlay technique. This produces a porous mat with the carbon fibers well dispersed and randomly oriented in a plane. CMT composites offer substantial cost and weight savings over typical steel construction in new automotive applications. In production vehicles, automotive manufacturers have already begun to use glass mat thermoplastic (GMT) materials that use glass fiber as the reinforcement and polypropylene as the matrix. GMT parts have limitations due to the maximum achievable strength and stiffness of the material. In this study the glass fibers of traditional GMT are replaced with higher strength and higher stiffness carbon fibers. The tensile strength and modulus and the flexural strength and modulus of the CMT materials were calculated for fiber volume fractions of 10-25%. Additionally, the length of the fiber (12.7 mm or 25.4 mm) was varied and four different fiber treatments designed to improve the bond between the fiber and the matrix were tested. It was found that the fiber length had no effect on the mechanical properties of the material since these lengths are above the critical fiber length. The tensile and the flexural moduli of the CMTs were found to increase linearly with the FVF up to 25% FVF for some treatments of the fibers. For the other treatments the linearly increasing trend was valid up to 20% FVF, then stiffness either stayed constant or decreased as the FVF was increased from 20% to 25% . The strength versus FVF curves showed trends similar to those of the modulus versus FVF curves. It is shown that choosing an appropriate sizing can extend the usable FVF range of the CMT by at least 5%. Published micromechanical relations over-predicted the tensile modulus of the composite by 20-60%. An empirical fiber efficiency relation was fit to the experimental data for the tensile modulus and the tensile strength giving excellent agreement with the experimental results. Flow tests simulating the compression molding process were conducted on the CMT to determine what factors affect the flow viscosity of the CMT. The melt viscosity of the neat PP was measured using cone and plate rheometry at temperatures between 180°C–210°C and was fit with the Carreau relation. The through thickness packing stress of the CMT mat was measured for FVFs of 8-40% and was found to follow a power law behavior based on the local bending of fibers up to a FVF of 20.9%. Above this FVF the power law exponent decreases, and this is attributed to fracture of some of the fibers. Heated platens were used to isothermally squeeze the CMT at axial strain rates of 0.02-6 s^-1. The plot of the load-displacement behavior for the 10% FVF CMT was similar in shape to that for a fluid with a yield stress. For FVFs of 15-25% the load-displacement curves showed a load spike at the beginning of the flow, then followed the curve for a fluid with a yield stress. The matrix was burned off the squeezed samples, and the remaining carbon mat was dissected and visually inspected. It was found that fiber breakage increased and fiber length decreased as the FVF of the sample was increased. / Ph. D.

Long fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites are used for creating lightweight, but mechanically sound, automotive components. Injection molding is a manufacturing technique commonly used for traditional thermoplastics due to its efficiency and ability to create complex geometries. Injection molding feedstock is often in the form of pellets. Therefore, fiber composites must be chopped for use in this manufacturing method. The fibers are cut to a length of 13 mm and then fiber attrition occurs during processing. The combination of chopping the fibers into pellets and fiber breakage creates a distribution of mostly short fiber lengths, with some longer fibers remaining. Discontinuous fiber reinforcements are classified as long for aspect ratios greater than 100. For glass fibers, that distinction occurs at a length of 1 mm, and for carbon fibers 0.5 mm. Traditional composite materials and manufacturing processes utilize continuous fibers with a controlled orientation and length. The use of chopped discontinuous fibers requires a method to predict the orientation of the fibers in the final molded piece because mechanical properties are dependent on fiber length and orientation. The properties and behavior of the flow of a fiber reinforced polymer composite during molding are directly related to the mechanical properties of the completed part. Flow affects the orientation of the fibers within the polymer matrix and at locations within the mold cavity. The ability to predict, and ultimately control, flow properties allows for the efficient design of safe parts for industrial uses, such as vehicle parts in the automotive industry. The goal of this work is to test material characterization techniques developed for measuring and predicting the orientation of fiber reinforced injection molded thermoplastics using commercial grade long carbon fiber (LCF) reinforced nylon 6,6 (PA 6,6). Forty weight percent LCF/PA 6,6 with a weight averaged fiber length of 1.242 mm was injection molded into center gated disks and the orientation was measured experimentally. A Linux based Numlab flow simulation process that utilizes the finite element method to model the flow and orientation of fiber reinforced materials was tested and modified to accurately predict the orientation for this composite and geometry. Fiber orientation models used for prediction require the use of empirical parameters. A method of using non-lubricated squeeze flow as an efficient way to determine the strain reduction factor, , and Brownian motion like factor, CI, parameters for short glass fiber polypropylene orientation predictions using the strain reduction factor (SRF) model was extended to use with the LCF/PA 6,6 composite. The 40 weight percent LCF/PA 6,6 material was compression molded and underwent non-lubricated squeeze flow testing. The flow was simulated using finite element analysis to predict the fiber orientation using the SRF model. The empirical parameters were fit by comparing the simulated orientation to experimentally measured orientation. This is a successful method for predicting orientation parameters that is significantly more efficient than optimizing the parameters based on fitting orientation generated in injection molded pieces. The determined orientation parameters were then used to reasonably predict the fiber orientation for the injection molded parts. The authors proved that the experimental and simulation techniques developed for the glass fiber reinforced polypropylene material are valid for use with a different, more complex material. / Doctor of Philosophy / Fibers reinforce thermoplastic polymers to create lightweight, but mechanically sound, automotive parts. Thermoplastics flow when heated and harden when cooled. This work compares two of the commonly used thermoplastics, polypropylene (plastic grocery bags, food storage containers) with a glass fiber reinforcement and a form of nylon called PA 6,6 with a carbon fiber reinforcement. Injection molding is a manufacturing technique commonly used for un-reinforced thermoplastics due to its efficiency and ability to create complicated shapes. Injection molding feedstock is often in the form of pellets. Therefore, fiber composites must be chopped for use in this manufacturing method. The fibers are cut to a length of 13 mm and then fiber breakage occurs in the injection molder. The combination of chopping the fibers into pellets and fiber breakage creates a range of lengths. This distribution consists of mostly short fiber lengths, with some longer fibers remaining. Discontinuous fiber reinforcements are classified as long for aspect ratios (the ratio of length over diameter) greater than 100. For glass fibers, that distinction occurs at a length of 1 mm, and for carbon fibers 0.5 mm. Traditional composite materials and manufacturing processes utilize continuous fibers with a controlled orientation and length, such as the weave pattern one might see in a carbon fiber hood. The use of chopped fibers requires a method to predict the orientation of the fibers in the final molded piece because mechanical properties are dependent on fiber length and orientation. The way that the plastic flows during molding is directly related to the mechanical properties of the completed part because flow affects the way that the fibers arrange. The ability to predict, and ultimately control, flow properties allows for the efficient design of safe parts for industrial uses, such as vehicle parts in the automotive industry. The goal of this work is to test the techniques developed for measuring and predicting the orientation of fiber reinforced injection molded thermoplastics using commercial grade long carbon fiber (LCF) reinforced nylon 6,6 (PA 6,6). LCF/PA 6,6 with an average fiber length of 1.242 mm was injection molded into a disk and the orientation was measured experimentally. A computer flow simulation process that utilizes the finite element method to model the flow and orientation of fiber reinforced materials was tested and modified to accurately predict the orientation for this composite and geometry. Fiber orientation models used for prediction require the use of parameters. There is no universal method for determining these parameters. A method of using non-lubricated squeeze flow as an efficient way to determine the parameters for short glass fiber polypropylene orientation predictions was extended to use with the LCF/PA 6,6 composite. The LCF/PA 6,6 material was compression molded and underwent non-lubricated squeeze flow testing. The flow was modeled to predict the fiber orientation. The empirical parameters were fit by comparing the simulated orientation to experimentally measured orientation. This is a successful method for predicting orientation parameters. The determined orientation parameters were then used to reasonably predict the fiber orientation for the injection molded parts. The authors proved that the experimental and simulation techniques developed for the glass fiber reinforced polypropylene material are valid for use with a different, more complex material.

A novel photocrosslinkable and melt processible terpolymer precursor for carbon fibers has been successfully synthesized and characterized. The terpolymer was synthesized by an efficient emulsion polymerization route and has a typical composition of acrylonitrile/ methyl acrylate/acryloyl benzophenone in the molar ratio of 85/14/1. This thesis describes a systematic variation of the polymerization variables in the emulsion polymerization which may further enhance the system. In particular, the effects of chain transfer agent, initiator, and surfactant concentration on the polymer properties were studied. / Master of Science

This bachelor’s thesis investigates the feasibility of designing a lightweight, aero-dynamic child bike trailer using composite materials for its main structural ele-ments. The project encompasses theoretical design, finite element analysis (FEA),and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to optimize the structure for weight re-duction and improved aerodynamics while ensuring strength. Key considerationsinclude material selection, laminate stiffness, and manufacturing methods. Thestudy provides a plan for future prototype development. Findings suggest that acomposite-based design can significantly reduce weight and enhance aerodynamicperformance compared to traditional materials and structural design.