Statistical life prediction of unidirectional carbon fiber/polypropylene tape under creep tension load

Recently, a carbon fiber/polypropylene unidirectional sheet has been developed by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. from a new polyolefin-based sizing agent for carbon fiber. Its effective polypropylene modification brings good compatibility with polypropylene to improve the fiber matrix adhesion. This study examines the prediction of the statistical lifetime of this developed carbon fiber/polypropylene unidirectional sheet under creep tension loading. First, a tensile test method for static and creep strengths at elevated temperatures was developed for carbon fiber/polypropylene unidirectional tape cut from a carbon fiber/polypropylene unidirectional sheet. Second, the static tensile strengths of carbon fiber/polypropylene tape were measured statistically at various constant temperatures under a constant strain rate. The statistical creep failure times under tension loading for carbon fiber/polypropylene tape were predicted at a constant temperature by substituting the statistical static strengths into the formulation based on the matrix resin viscoelasticity. Third, the validity of the predicted results was clarified by comparison with the creep failure times measured statistically using creep tests for carbon fiber/polypropylene tape. Finally, the relation between the failure probability and creep failure times for carbon fiber/polypropylene unidirectional tape at various loads and temperature conditions was discussed.