PhD Thesis Defence: Mrs. Poulami Banerjee (17/02/23)
Thesis title:
Interfacial engineering of hierarchical carbon fiber reinforced epoxy laminates for mechanical property enhancement and self-healing ability
Faculty advisor(s):
Prof. Suryasarathi Bose & Prof. Subodh Kumar
When?
17th February, 2023 (Friday), 10:30 AM (India Standard Time)
Location
Microsoft Teams link – Online Only
Abstract
Carbon fiber reinforced epoxy (CFRE) laminates have become a significant component in aircraft industries over the years due to their superior mechanical and highly tunable properties. However, the interfacial area between the fibers and the matrix continues to pose a significant challenge in debonding and delamination, leading to significant failures in such components. Therefore, since the advent of such laminated structures, researchers have worked on several interfacial modifications to better the mechanical properties and enhance such laminated systems’ service life. These methods have primarily consisted of fiber sizing or matrix modifications, while effective fiber surface treatment has utilized the concept of surface energy to form an effective matrix locking mechanism. In recent times, with the advent of self-healing technology, research is being directed towards novel methods of self-healing interfacial modifications, which is a promising arena. In this thesis, we have successfully fabricated 10 layered hierarchical laminates with engineered interfaces for enhanced matrix adhesion and recovery of interfacial weakly bonded or de-bonded sites that may be causes of subsequent delamination and composite failure. Such architectures could widely be used in aerospace technology, especially in aircraft wings and fuselages. Reduction in fuel and maintenance costs of aircraft structures could be attained through increased structural properties and strength recovery attained by incorporating the advanced laminates presented.