Technological watch

The crashworthiness of discontinuous recycled carbon fiber composites was studied. Sinusoidal crush specimens were manufactured of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyphenylene sulfide, and a common structural epoxy reinforced with recycled carbon fibers. Samples were tested at a range of strain rates and temperatures representative of automotive conditions. Crush debris size was quantified using sieving to correlate with energy absorption. The effect of manufacturing flaws such as embedded foreign objects, porosity, and ductile tearing was studied by comparing x-ray computed tomography images with crush test data gathered using digital image correlation. The results show great promise for discontinuous fiber organosheet composites as a novel material for automotive crash structures, exceeding the energy absorption capabilities of many continuous fiber thermosets.