| Abstract Scope |
Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, known for their high strength-to-weight ratio, are crucial for aircraft structures. To enhance their functionality be-yond mechanical properties, these laminates are embedded with carbon-based na-nomaterials such as CNTs, rGO, and GNPs. This addition grants them piezore-sistive capabilities, transforming them into multifunctional laminates for structural health monitoring (SHM) applications. They have the potential to replace conven-tional sensors. Such a development is crucial to overcome limitations of conven-tional sensors, including limited temperature and sensitivity ranges, weight addi-tion, manufacturing complexity, and the risk of introducing crack sites. Investi-gating the thermo-mechanical and piezoresistive behavior of multifunctional com-posites is essential to understand their ability to detect damage and failure across various temperatures and loading conditions. In this study, glass fiber reinforced polymer composite laminates were manufactured using the vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-coated glass fabric, created via the dip-coating technique and acting as a sensor, was em-bedded in the laminate’s mid-plane. To evaluate the temperature-dependent piezo-resistive behavior, in-plane tensile tests were carried out at two different tempera-tures with a constant displacement rate. The tests involve heating the sample until they reach an isothermal state, in which the load is then applied. Throughout the process, resistance changes are measured, and the gauge factor at each tempera-ture was obtained. This study shows that as temperature increases, both re-sistance and stress decrease. Understanding this behavior is crucial for predicting the performance and durability of these materials in real-world conditions. |