Self-Sensing Carbon-Glass Hybrid Fiber Composites

Abstract

A carbon-glass hybrid fiber textile, continuous carbon and glass fibers woven simultaneously, is a unique reinforcement material that compromises between performance and cost. Studies on piezoresistivity due to intra-/inter-tow and interlaminar interactions have been limited, not to mention the piezoresistivity of carbon-glass hybrid fiber composites. This poster investigates the self-sensing behavior of carbon-glass hybrid fiber composites from a monofilament to single-tow and woven-fiber composite levels. It was found that the overall piezoresistivity of hybrid fiber composites is affected by complex combinations of the intrinsic piezoresistivity of a monofilament, radial shrinkage of tows, inter-tow contacts, and interlaminar resistance changes. The piezoresistivity behavior of woven CFRP was also characterized to provide the reference data and to elucidate the unique self-sensing features of hybrid fiber composites. Carbon-glass hybrid fiber composites can serve as self-sensing structures in various fields, including aerospace and civil infrastructures, and the findings from the study allow the composite engineers to tailor the composite design.