Mechanical and radar absorption properties of sheep wool/epoxy composites
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology
ISSN: 0002-2667
Article publication date: 15 April 2024
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to determine the fracture behavior of wool felt and fabric based epoxy composites and their responses to electromagnetic waves.
Design/methodology/approach
Notched and unnotched tensile tests of composites made of wool only and hybridized with a glass fiber layer were carried out, and fracture behavior and toughness at macro scale were determined. They were exposed to electromagnetic waves between 8 and 18 GHz frequencies using two horn antennas.
Findings
The keratin and lignin layer on the surface of the wool felt caused lower values to be obtained compared to the mechanical values given by pure epoxy. However, the use of wool felt in the symmetry layer of the laminated composite material provided higher mechanical values than the composite with glass fiber in the symmetry layer due to the mechanical interlocking it created. The use of wool in fabric form resulted in an increase in the modulus of elasticity, but no change in fracture toughness was observed. As a result of the electromagnetic analysis, it was also seen in the electromagnetic analysis that the transmittance of the materials was high, and the reflectance was low throughout the applied frequency range. Hence, it was concluded that all of the manufactured materials could be used as radome material over a wide band.
Practical implications
Sheep wool is an easy-to-supply and low-cost material. In this paper, it is presented that sheep wool can be evaluated as a biocomposite material and used for radome applications.
Originality/value
The combined evaluation of felt and fabric forms of a natural and inexpensive reinforcing element such as sheep wool and the combined evaluation of fracture mechanics and electromagnetic absorption properties will contribute to the evaluation of biocomposites in aviation.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors dedicate this study to the memory of Associate Professor Dr Necati BASMAN, who contributed greatly to the preparation of this manuscript.
Citation
Saracoglu, G., Kiriş, S., Çoban, S., Karaaslan, M., Depci, T. and Bayraktar, E. (2024), "Mechanical and radar absorption properties of sheep wool/epoxy composites", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-03-2023-0069
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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