Examination of High Performance Polymer Fibers under Compressive Deformation.
Abstract
High performance polymer fibers are limited in their application due to their relatively low compressive strengths. The Kevlar 49 fiber, for example, has a compressive strength of only twenty percent of its tensile strength. Why does this occur and what mechanism within the fiber is the cause? In order to answer this question, an understanding of the microstructural behavior of the fiber under compression is required. A new technique is developed to study fibers under compression. This is done by embedding a multifilament in an epoxy specimen, having a symmetrically necked cross-section, subjecting it to axial compression, and then examining it using the X-ray diffraction technique. During compression, the deformation of the fibers is a microstructural instability phenomenon known as kink band formation. The X-ray scattering technique is used to determine the molecular structure change in the fibers. A finite element analysis is performed to understand the effect of sample geometry on the axial stress distribution in the fiber. Keywords: Polymer Fibers, Compression, X-ray Diffraction Microstructure, Kevlar, Synthetic Fibers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA178640
Entities
People
- Russell L. Keller
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology