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TEST METHOD and RESULTS for FORTRESS STABLIZATION SYSTEMS
Carbon Fiber / Kevlar Weave
Saginaw Valley State University
Independent Testing Laboratory
December 9, 2004
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Specimen Description
Twenty specimens with nominal width of 0.6" and nominal length of 12" and nominal thickness of 0.06" were received from Fortress Stabilization Systems. Each specimen was comprised of three strands of carbon fiber interwoven with Kevlar. The photos in Figures 1 & 2 show an example.
Figure 1 | 
Figure 2 |
Test Method
ASTM D3039, Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Polymer Matrix Materials, is commonly used to determine in-plane tensile properties of polymer matrix materials reinforced by high modulus fibers. Typically a thin strip of material is mounted in the grips of a mechanical testing machine where it is monotonically loaded in tension. In this case, an Instron 1125 with MTS ReNew Upgrade package was used to apply the load at 1mm/minute crosshead speed.
Gripping tabs are often employed to reduce the likelihood of premature failure in the grips. Tabs were cut from 0.125" thick Garolite G-10. These tabs had a nominal length of 3" and a nominal width of 0.7" with a machined bevel. The tabs were glued to the carbon weave specimens using toughened adhesive and were allowed to cure for 48 hours at 73F.
Test Results and Discussion
Twenty specimens were pulled and the results are summarized in the table below. The load required to cause failure in the specimen averaged 4077pounds. Typical modes of failure are shown in Figures 3, 4, & 5. Graphical results are shown in Figure 6.
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Specimen | Peak Load (lbs) | Peak Load (N) | | 1 | 4048 | 18007 | | 2 | 4422 | 19672 | | 3 | 4101 | 18242 | | 4 | 4125 | 18348 | | 5 | 4025 | 17906 | | 6 | 3951 | 17576 | | 7 | 3981 | 17710 | | 8 | 3905 | 17371 | | 9 | 3977 | 17688 | | 10 | 3958 | 17607 | | 11 | 3902 | 17358 | | 12 | 4000 | 17794 | | 13 | 4488 | 19964 | | 14 | 3797 | 16890 | | 15 | 4158 | 18497 | | 16 | 4007 | 17823 | | 17 | 4547 | 20224 | | 18 | 4188 | 18627 | | 19 | 3754 | 16700 | | 20 | 4206 | 18710 | | Average | 4077 | 18136 |
Figure 3 | 
Figure 4 |
Figure 5 | 
Figure 6 |
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