Effect of sign-variable thermocycling on the mechanical properties of carbon-fiber plastics with various layups

Conclusion An economic method for the ST of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics is proposed in this study. It is established as a result of investigations of the mechanical properties of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics with different layups, which are subjected to ST in the range to 100 cycles, that in the majority of cases, the number and duration of thermal cycles has no effect on the stiffness and strength in tension, compression, bending, and shear. The effect of number of thermal cycles was manifested only on the stiffness in tension and bending and also on the tensile, compressive, and bending strengths of the material with the obliquely reinforced structure loaded in the direction of the diagonal. It is permissible to use the dynamic method to assess variations in the stiffness of a material subjected to ST.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 66–76, January–February, 1993.