Mechanical Testing of Composite Precursors

Understanding the behaviour of the material in composites manufacturing is critically important for process optimisation. The mechanical response of delicate composite precursor at the stages of deposition, consolidation, forming dictates all the aspects of composite performance: dimensional stability, fibre orientation, defect occurrence, material morphology, etc. The behaviour of these materials is very complex. The processes are coupled, highly non-linear, and occur at multiple scales. Often, material characterisation cannot be considered separately from the model it provides an input for and model parameters cannot be determined from isolated experiments. This sets a demand for new approaches in material characterisation and the need for a united effort of the composite community in developing reliable testing protocols.  

The goal of this Research Topic is to present a collection of papers examining various aspects of state-of-the-art material characterisation. This will showcase the problems and solutions in testing dry preforms, prepregs, or thermoplastic precursors. This is an active research field and there is an intensive ongoing work culminating with benchmarking exercises and other community efforts. Many testing programmes still await a consensus on best practices and models appropriate in a particular manufacturing circumstance. In the current environment where new materials and manufacturing techniques are continuously emerging, it is important to look forward and address new solutions for understanding the behaviour of novel materials, novel processes, or novel models. 

We encourage submissions in the form of Original Research, Reviews and Mini-Reviews on topic including, but not limited to:

·        Physical testing aimed at the identification of material parameters in the context of composites manufacturing processes.

·        The resultant data obtained from the tests should aim at describing precursor deformation in consolidation, fibre deposition, debulking, forming, and other processes.

·        The explored materials cover dry/infused preforms, prepregs, reinforced filaments, thermoplastic precursors in the form of unidirectional laminates or textiles.

·        A particular interest of the collection is on tailoring testing methodology to providing data and validation for process models and process simulations.