Fiber orientation and its effect upon thermoelastic properties of short carbon fiber reinforced poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK)

Abstract Experimental and analytical techniques are employed in the present study to investigate the influence of microstructure on thermoelastic properties of short carbon fiber reinforced poly(etheretherketone). The test specimen geometry is an edge gated, injection molded dogbone tensile bar. Typical of injection molded structures, three distinct layers of fiber orientation were discernable through the sample thickness. The thermoelastic properties of the surface layer (machined from the specimen) are measured for direct correlation with a micromechanics model. In addition to measuring the volume fractions and constituent properties, microstructural features such as fiber aspect ratio and the process‐induced fiber orientation distribution are quantified. Correlation of experimental data with micromechanics model predictions is found to be quite good.