Mechanical characterization of triaxially braided hybrid composites

Abstract The use of advanced composites has been expanded to the oil and gas industry. One of the newly developed technologies is in composite coiled tubing that offers the potential of exceeding the performance of metallic tubings. The high strains due to bending and the complex state of stress in these tubes necessitate the better understanding of the correlation between fiber architecture and tube performance. Braided composites can withstand high bending deformation without severe degradation of properties. In this study, braided hybrid composites are presented as an option for achieving high performance coiled tubing under tensile and flexural loads. The effects of material and fabric microstructural parameters on the mechanical behavior of braided hybrid composites are studied. The mechanical characterization of triaxially braided composites has identified the influence of the mechanical properties of the axial yarn, the axial yarn volume fraction, and the braid angle. Overall, this study provides a sound knowledge base for the design, fabrication, and characterization of triaxially braided composites for coiled tubing applications in the petroleum industry.