Delamination of Novel Carbon Fibre-Based Non-Crimp Fabric-Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites in Mode I: Experimental and Fractographic Analysis

Delamination, a form of composite failure, is a significant concern in laminated composites. The increasing use of out-of-autoclave manufacturing techniques for automotive applications, such as compression moulding and thermoforming, has led to increased interest in understanding the delamination resistance of carbon-fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) composites compared to traditional carbon-fibre-reinforced thermosetting (CFRTS) composites. This study evaluated the mode I (opening) interlaminar fracture toughness of two non-crimp fabric (NCF) biaxial (0/90°) carbon/thermoplastic composite systems: T700/polyamide 6.6 and T700/polyphenylene sulphide. The mode I delamination resistance was determined using the double cantilever beam (DCB) specimen. The results were analysed and the Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness was compared. Additionally, the fractographic analysis (microstructure characterisation) was conducted using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to examine the failure surface of the specimens.