Comparison of interlaminar and interfacial shear strength with recycled carbon fiber

Abstract

Testing the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of composites using a short beam shear (SBS) test takes time. Micro-scale interfacial shear strength values (IFSS) need to be scaled back to the macro-level if a more reliable picture of the composite behavior on the right scale is desired. Here, the objective is to find out what kind of relation the ILSS and the IFSS values have for recycled carbon fibers (rCF) and epoxy matrix. Factors affecting the reliability of both tests are considered. A slope-based method was used to obtain the IFSS values from the micro-scale results. The microbond test gave a 43.6 MPa IFSS value and the SBS test a 36.4 MPa ILSS value. There were a lot of variables associated with the SBS for rCF, due to which there is uncertainty in the results. The data from the microbond tests were more reliable due to the high sampling volume.