Effects of repair techniques on mechanical performance in composite materials

Today, the use of composite materials has become widespread and is increasing. These materials, which have the advantage of strength and lightness ratio, have gained great importance especially in the aeronautical industry and automotive sector. After this widespread use of composite materials, the repair of damages caused by external factors has also become an important research topic. In this study, the effects of different repair methods on the mechanical performance of the material were investigated. Scarf angles of 20°, 30° and 45° have been studied in order not to create too many scarf areas and to find a quick repair method. Also, a comparison of single scarf and double scarf repair was made to find a more robust solution. The samples were produced from carbon fiber prepreg and with the [45/0/90/0/45]2s ratio. Tensile, compression and 3-point bending tests according to ASTM standards were applied to composite samples prepared with single scarf and double scarf repair configurations at different angles. The stress-strain curves obtained as a result of the tests showed that the specimens repaired at 20° had the highest strength. In addition, it has been determined that the samples repaired with double scarf withstand higher forces compared to the samples repaired with single scarf at the same angle.