Improved Strength in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics due after Electron Beam Irradiation

Abstract

Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs), with their advantages of light weight and high strength, are increasingly being applied as structural materials in the fields of aerospace engineering and rapid transport engineering. To strengthen CFRPs, electron beam (EB) irradiation is performed homogeneously. EB irradiation enhances the bending fracture stress and the bending fracture strain, and also slightly enhances the bending elasticity of CFRP. The analysis based on the Law of Mixture Strength for composites suggests that EB strengthening of CFRPs is chiefly attributable to ductility enhancement of the epoxy resin and carbon fiber.