Structural analysis of combination of plastics materials in relation to fibre-metal laminates

• Main Author: Lim, Abel Wen Yi
• Other Authors: Chai Gin Boay
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Aeronautical engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/76300
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In pursuit of new unconventional materials, this report presents the experimental data of the effects that stacking sequence and support length has on the bending properties of a fibre metal laminate with the matrix and load bearing fibres substituted with polycarbonate and acrylic respectively. The substitute FMLs were arranged in 2/1 and 3/2 configuration with an intended thickness of 5mm. Acrylic samples were also tested to act as a point of comparison. This report covers in detail the history and research motivation behind fibre metal laminates and how unconventional materials have spurred a leap in material research for the aviation industry. The first chapter covers the history and early stages of development for FMLs and the potential it showed. The second chapter covers the literature review such that the author was able to understand the mechanics and principles behind designing FMLs. The author drew inspiration from the current techniques used in the industry to formulate the procedures that was used for the experiment. The third chapter presents in detail the steps that were taken in fabricating the test samples as well as challenges faced in developing the procedures. Results from the experiment are also presented in chapter three of the report where the consistency and accuracy of the results were first addressed, followed by the comparison of the flexural modulus, flexural strength, maximum stress and mode of failure. The report also covers the limitations that homogenous beam assumptions have when evaluating bending properties. Conclusions are covered in the last chapter where it is shown that 2/1 configurations perform very close to acrylic across varying support lengths (while degrading with the increase in length) but degradation in performance is less apparent in 3/2 configurations.