Rate Dependent Electromechancal Characterization And Modeling Of Graphene Based Fiber Reinforced Polymer Laminates

Abstract

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite laminates are used in numerous structures that require high strength-to-weight ratio. The health status of these laminates is traditionally monitored using point strain gauge arrays, fiber optics etc. installed at critical locations. In this work, a composite laminate capable of sensing its own health has been developed using embedded fabric sensor. In this study, a manufacturing protocol is developed for in-situ reduction of graphene oxide (GO) coated fabric into rGO coated fabric. A vacuum assisted resin transfer molding process was used to fabricate the composite laminates with embedded rGO coated fabric sensors. The piezoresistivity of the composite laminate was measured both before and during fabrication. The in-plane tension tests were carried out at three different loading rates (0.2, 2, 20 mm/min) to determine the rate-dependent piezoresistive response of composite laminates. We recorded both the piezoresistivity and load-displacement data simultaneously to obtain the electromechanical response of the fabricated samples.