Practical aspects regarding the production of composite materials with 3D textile reinforcements

Abstract

The development of 3D knitted fabrics includes a large range of applications in the technical field. The shape of composite materials reinforced with spacer fabrics can be controlled through the fabric structure of the outer layers, the simple or complex geometry of the connection knitted layer and the structural parameters. The paper presents the development of advanced 3D composite materials reinforced with sandwich knitted fabrics made of Kevlar®, twaron® and linen yams and epoxy/polyester resins as matrix. The fabric processing is discussed and the knittability is considered. The samples have been produced using vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding technique. The differences between epoxy and polyester resin processability are emphasized in relation to the 3D knitted preforms.