Introduction
With the rapid development of various new materials, thermoplastic composites are getting more and more concerned due to the growing demand in lightweight material industries. CFRT and fabrics are typical choices. Sometimes you may get confused with what to choose. Of course, they have something in common, but still, a significant difference in specific use.
Specification
In thermoplastic composites, there are some values most concerned for certain applications. Especially in railway, aerospace, airline, and automobile, we pay close attention to flexural and tensile strength/modulus, as well as impact resistance.
In a short word, CFRT (continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic) composites are good at flexural and tensile strength/modulus, while fabrics at impact resistance.
| Test Items | CFRT UD Tapes | Fabric Tapes |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile Strength | Higher | Lower |
| Tensile Modulus | Higher | Lower |
| Flexural Strength | Higher | Lower |
| Flexural Modulus | Higher | Lower |
| Impact Strength | Lower | Higher |
| Shearing Strength | Lower | Higher |
| Weight | Lighter | Heavier |
Index
Tensile modulus/sectional area:
The higher the consequence value is, the stronger the material will be. (The strength of nanomaterial mainly comes from its small sectional area.)
Length/Diameter:
Similar to the previous value, it also shows the strength of the current material we use.
For the above index, CFRT shows excellent performance in flexural and tensile strength.
Weight:
CFRT (continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic) composites are usually lighter than fabric ones.
Thickness:
Thicker materials hold higher elasticity but lower efficiency of impact resistance.
Thinner composites hold higher impact resistance but lower intensity.
Thickness and weight also depend on the layers and lamination method of CFRT and fabric composites.
