Effect of strain rate on the tensile, compressive, and shear response of carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites

Carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite materials feature extraordinary strength to weight and stiffness to weight ratios. Thus, they are highly attractive for lightweight structural applications in automotive and aerospace industry especially for primary structural components that are exposed to crash and impact loads. However, the potential for optimizing the composite structures’ mechanical performance has not yet been fully exhausted and improved understanding of the materials’ mechanical behavior is still needed. This thesis presents an experimental study of the effect of strain rate on the tensile, compressive, and shear response of a carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite. Due to the absence of national or international standards in this field of material characterization, a dynamic test method was developed to perform measurements at high strain rates by using a split-Hopkinson bar system. A sensitivity of the deformation rate on the matrix dominated strength values of the composite material was measured.