Three-dimensionally woven and braided composites. II: An experimental characterization

The results of an experimental characterization of the elastic and failure behavior of several 3-D textile composites under tension, compression, shear, and bending loads are reported in this paper. Composites reinforced with several textile pre-forms comprising of layer-to-layer weaves, through-the-thickness weaves, and four-step circular braids were characterized. The preform architectures examined included variations in tow size, pitch for the woven composites, and braid angle in the braided composites. The experimental methods, stress-strain relationships and descriptions of the failure modes of the test specimens are described. Correlations of the predictions from a model described in the companion paper with the experimental results are also presented.