Microstructure, hygrothermal, and mechanical properties of interlaminar toughening of CFRP composite using polyamide veil

Abstract

The addition of polyamide veil (PAV) to the interlaminar area of carbon fiber (CF) fabric/epoxy composites can effectively increase their toughness with high accuracy. Vacuum-assisted resin infusion (VARI) was used to fabricate composite structures. VARI was applied to obtain a PAV, which is an interleaf between fabric piles of CFs. The thermoplastic PAV was dissolved in epoxy when the PAV was cured at high temperature. A phase-separated morphology with a PAV-rich secondary phase was formed during the curing process. Experimental results indicated that compression after impact (CAI), which is the average value of CAI, increased by threefold when two layers of PAV were added. The thermal and mechanical characteristics of the composite were analyzed and compared at room temperature and high-temperature wet conditions.