Fabrication of an Anisotropically Flexible Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composite Panel

Abstract

As the popularity of flexible devices that can be folded or bent rises, there is a need for developing supporting back cover panels that are both flexible and rigid, based on the direction of the force applied. In this study, a multiple-matrix-based carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) structure that is highly flexible on one side and rigid on the other is proposed for use as the back cover plate of flexible devices. To achieve this anisotropic flexibility, two different matrices were introduced, i.e., polyurethane for the flexible side and epoxy for the rigid side. After the epoxy-based rigid composite plate was fabricated using a resin infusion process, the polyurethane-based flexible composite was compression-molded onto the rigid composite. The effects of the thickness, the textile structure of each layer, and the adhesive layer between two different layers were investigated, and the optimized multiple-matrix composite panel reflected high anisotropic flexibility with a flexural strength of 0.55 MPa to the flexible side and 5.55 MPa to the rigid side. This result indicates the possibility of replacing structurally complex metal back covers with a simple-structured, lightweight CFRP.