Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-2019

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Materials Science and Engineering

Major Professor

UDAY KUMAR VAIDYA

Committee Members

CLAUDIA RAWN, KURT EDWARD SICKAFUS

Abstract

Composite materials are desired for automobile, aerospace, and other high-tech applications due to their impressive physical properties and resilience. The use of composite materials in vehicle structures could reduce the weight and thereby the fuel consumption of vehicles. Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) is extensively used in automobile industries such as front end panels, roof panels, deck lids, trunk front fender-hood assemblies, bumper beams, heater, and air conditioner housings, and other exterior and interior body components. To enhance the stiffness and light-weighting of the vehicles, overmolded structures can be utilized. These overmolded structures often have two or more materials integrated generally, fiberglass, carbon fiber, and natural fibers. This research aims to combine two high-performance constituents to create an overmolded composite capable of meeting performance criteria for a vehicle - high strength and high stiffness. To create the overmolded structures, two fiberglass SMC were chosen with vinyl ester and polyester resin system as the core. Two layers of ± 45° Textile grade carbon fiber (TCF) was used as overmolded material. The SMC was fabricated using hot compression molding process and overmolded composite was fabricated using a VARTM process with hot compression molding. Epoxy was used as an adhesive to bond the SMC and TCF. Non-destructive testing was performed on a representative panel before destructive testing to examine the bonding between the SMC and TCF. The overmolded composite was tested for mechanical characterization, bonding characterization and X-ray tomography was performed to check the orientation of the fibers in SMC. It was found that the bonding of overmolded composite was stronger than the SMC.

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