Correlating the Mechanical Properties of Fiberglass Composites for Different Flaw Defects

Structural weight reduction with improved functionality is one of the targeted desires of engineers, which drives materials and structures to be lighter, but without compromising critical properties such as strength, elasticity and endurance. Lightweight composite materials are widely used in many industries including automobile and aerospace. The presence of different types of defects such as voids, inclusions, de-bonds, improper cure, and delamination are common during the composite fabrication. In composite industries, engineers practice Ultrasonic Non-Destructive-Test (NDT) to detect undesirable structural defects. In this research, we will prepare different composite samples using fiberglass. Samples will be prepared with and without embedded flaws along the thickness and length direction. Samples will also be prepared where we can change the flaw geometry; flaws can be round, square and/or diamond shapes. Then, we will use an ultrasonic flaw tester to detect the flaws and their corresponding location. Finally, we will conduct several tensile tests to determine the mechanical properties of those samples. We will demonstrate how the composite strength and elasticity changes with different flaw geometries and shapes

Investigating the Effects of Acetone Vapor Treatment Conditions and Post Drying Methods on Surface Roughness and Tensile Strength of 3D Printed ABS Components

The additive manufacturing/3D printing process using the material Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) is melted and printed layer by layer to create parts most often used in rapid prototyping or mass production of products. The additive manufacturing process of 3D printing often results in discontinuities and structural uncertainties causing voids and poor layer bonding. Past documented research investigated 3D printed ABS samples in different orientations and how to improve their tensile strength and fatigue life. This prior research also investigated a surface treatment method using Acetone Vapor Smoothing (AVS) on 3D printed ABS parts. That data confirmed the reduction of stress concentrations on the surfaces and a reduction of structural inconsistencies by AVS methods in the ABS parts. Using AVS methods decreased the roughness of the 3D printed samples creating a smooth surface finish. A correlation was established to an improved tensile strength and fatigue life using an adjusted acetone vapor exposure and improving drying methods. Current research uses the acetone vapor exposure from the previous study that displayed the most improved tensile strength and minimized stress concentrations and structural inconsistencies within the 3D printed parts. This research will determine the optimal drying time which produces the largest tensile strength in the ABS components of various print orientations. Additional research on the improvement of surface roughness utilizing AVS methods are performed on 3D printed samples will be conducted to determine a correlation to tensile strength