Experimental Analysis of Relation between Shear Coupling Element and Bias Angle of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polyether-Polyester Elastomer Composites

Abstract

Carbon fiber reinforced polyether-polyester elastomer composites with different fiber volume fraction were fabricated by compression molding. Comparison between the experimental and theoretical values of the ratio of the shear modulus to extensional modulus and the relation between the in-plane shear coupling deformation and bias angle were studied. Excellent agreement between theory and experiment is observed when the fiber volume fraction is equal or less than 50%. Similarly, the in-plane shear coupling deformation vanishes around 53.8° in samples with 40 and 50% fiber volume fraction. In sample with 60% fiber volume fraction, it disappears at 50.6°. Therefore, the disappearance of shear coupling deformation depends on the fiber volume fraction.