Creating hollow preform for FRP with braiding

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K03869
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 18020:Manufacturing and production engineering-related
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: KINARI Toshiyasu 金沢大学, 設計製造技術研究所, 教授 (90195321)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 炭素繊維強化複合材料 / 組紐 / 炭素繊維 / 熱可塑性樹脂 / 中立糸 / 機械的性質 / プリフォーム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Braid-press forming was developed for manufacturing hollow tube parts made of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) tape. The CFRTP tapes were manufactured by slitting Uni Direction sheet which impregnate opened continuous carbon fibers along the fiber axis with thermoplastic resin into tape form thin. They were braided to make a tube, which was consolidated under pressure and heat in the press forming process. At the braid formation, braiding tapes and the middle end tapes covered up emptiness cylinder surface without a gap.
The mechanical properties of the obtained pipes were larger than 800 MPa in bending strength and were larger than 100 GPa in bending modulus. These results greatly exceeded the original purpose, ‘the mechanical strength that was more than 5 times compared with the steel structure of the same mass.’

Free Research Field

加工学および生産工学関連

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

熱可塑性樹脂を母材とする炭素繊維複合樹脂（CFRTP）は、先行する熱硬化性樹脂を母材とするCFRPに比べて、再加工や補修が可能であり、リサイクルも容易であるという利点を有する一方で、高温で樹脂が溶融してもその粘度が高く、成形性に難点があった。これに対して、本研究で提案したCFRTPテープを編組後熱間プレスする製造方法により、800MPaを越える曲げ強度の中空パイプを得る製造技術を確立することができた。この成果により「軽くて強い」構造部材が社会全体に広がることが期待される。