Compaction behavior of 3D woven preforms with hybrid fibers and under different process parameters

Abstract The reinforced fibers of three‐dimensional (3D) composites are interwoven in space and have better inter‐laminar properties than two‐dimensional (2D) laminates, and have great application prospects in high‐tech fields. Flexible‐oriented 3D woven technology is an emerging technology for weaving 3D composite preforms, especially suitable for manufacturing large‐thickness and complex preform architectures, and the compaction behavior of preforms has an important influence on its performance. In this paper, using this technology, different types of 3D preforms were woven and subjected to systematic compaction experiments, to explore the effects of different fiber hybrid modes and process parameters on the compaction behavior. It is found that, increasing the number of cycles, wetting and sizing the fibers are all beneficial to improve the compaction ability, but reduce the stress relaxation and recovery ratios. The stress relaxation of the hybrid fiber preform is mainly affected by the carbon fiber. Reducing the dispersion of different fiber bundles is beneficial to decrease the recovery ratio. The research results provide experimental and theoretical reference for the rapid and efficient weaving of hybrid fiber composite preforms in the future.