The effect of simultaneous heat/fire and impact on carbon fibril and particle release from carbon fiber‐reinforced composites

Abstract

A novel laboratory scale testing equipment has been designed and developed, which combines impact and heat/fire conditions to enable the testing of composite laminates, including the ability to capture debris/particles released during the test. This incorporates a pendulum impactor to create impact whilst

Graphene oxide incorporating carbon fibre-reinforced composites submitted to simultaneous impact and fire: Physicochemical characterisation and toxicology of the by-products

“…To achieve a simultaneous impact and fire test, a specific device including a pendulum impactor coupled with a heat source radiant cone was developed (Fig. 1) (Chapple, 2021;Chapple et al, 2021). A short video of the functioning of the system is provided as Supplementary data.…”

“…To that purpose, carbon fibre composite from an epoxy resin graphene oxide nanocomposite (CFC + GO) and an unmodified resin (CFC) were processed through infusion technique. The composite specimens were subjected simultaneously to impact and fire conditions with a specific system previously designed and developed for this purpose with the ability to capture released debris (Chapple et al, 2021). The obtained by-products (soot and residues) were thoroughly characterised, and their in vitro toxicity was assessed and compared to that of virgin graphene oxide.…”

Material integrity and fate of particulates released from carbon fibre composites containing nanomaterials during simultaneous fire and impact

“…The methodologies for impact only, impact during heat and impact during fire conditions have been described in detail in our previous publication. 18,19 CFC and CFCs containing nanomaterials were subjected to 19 J impact after being exposed to 50 kW m −2 radiant heat exposure for different durations (90, 120, 180 and 240 s) and at 20 s after time-to-ignition (TTI) during 75 kW m −2 . Since the purpose of this study was to quantitatively and qualitatively analyse the carbon fibres/fibrils, resin particles and nanomaterials released during impact of the heat/fire exposed samples, the samples were weighed before and after the test.…”

“…Considering the variation During these tests the surface temperatures were measured by the pyrometer (for details see ref. 18). In Fig.…”

“…17 To address these issues, we recently developed a bespoke piece of testing equipment where CFCs can be exposed to simultaneous heat/fire through a cone calorimetric heater and impact, and all the released particles at back and front surfaces and in the effluents can be collected. 18 Using this technology here, CFC and CFCs containing LDH (5 wt%), NT (0.2 wt%) and GO (0.5 wt%) have been studied, primarily for particulate release under an impact event at elevated temperatures (50-75 kW m −2 incident heat flux, 500-850 °C surface temperature), and characterized in order to identify any potential physiological harm that may be caused during human exposure. The concentration of each nanomaterial in the resin was kept at the maximum processable level in order to study the worst-case scenario for potential particulate release.…”