Filament wound (FW) structures present a geometric characteristic in their helical layers: the winding pattern. The pattern, however, is usually disregarded in conventional experimental or numerical approaches even though it can affect the behavior of FW structures, and most studies that account for the pattern are only theoretical. This study aims at deepening the understanding of pattern effects via a comprehensive experimental campaign focusing on composites cylinders under radial compression. Ten winding patterns were considered, from 1 to 10 units along the circumferential direction. Strength, stiffness, absorbed energy and failure mechanisms were evaluated. The results show that the pattern may have a strong influence on both maximum bearing load and absorbed energy, whereas stiffness is less affected.

This work aims to evaluate experimentally different fibers and resins in a topologically optimized composite component. The selected ones are made of carbon, glass, basalt, flax, hemp, and jute fibers. Tailored Fiber Placement (TFP) was used to manufacture the textile preforms, which were infused with two different epoxy resins: a partly biogenic and a fully petro-based one. The main objective is to evaluate and compare the absolute and specific mechanical performance of synthetic and natural fibers within a component framework as a base for improving assessments of sustainable endless-fiber reinforced composite material. Furthermore, manufacturing aspects regarding the different fibers are also considered in this work. In assessing the efficiency of the fiber-matrix systems, both the specific stiffness and the specific stiffness relative to carbon dioxide equivalents (${\mathrm{CO}}_2^{\mathrm{eq}.}$) as measures for the global warming potential (GWP) are taken into account for comparison. The primary findings indicate that basalt and flax fibers outperform carbon fibers notably in terms of specific stiffness weighted by ${\mathrm{CO}}_2^{\mathrm{eq}.}$. Additionally, the selection of epoxy resin significantly influences the assessment of sustainable fiber-plastic composites.

This work focuses on the viscoelastic response of carbon/epoxy filament-wound composite rings under radial compressive loading in harsh environments. The composites are exposed to three hygro-thermo-mechanical conditions: (i) pure mechanical loading, (ii) mechanical loading in a wet environment and (iii) mechanical loading under hygrothermal conditioning at 40 ${}^{\circ }$C. Dedicated equipment was built to carry out the creep experiments. Quasi-static mechanical tests are performed before and after creep tests to evaluate the residual properties of the rings. The samples are tested in (i) radial compression, (ii) axial compression, and (iii) hoop tensile strength. Different laminates wound at off-axis orientations are manufactured via filament winding and analyzed. Key results show that creep displacement is affected by both hygrothermal and mechanical conditionings, especially at a higher temperature. Moreover, residual properties are quantified showing that creep generates permanent damage in the cylinders.

Tailored fiber placement (TFP) is a preform manufacturing process in which rovings made of fibrous material are stitched onto a base material, increasing the freedom for the placement of fibers. Due to the particular kinematics of the process, the infiltration of TFP preforms with resin transfer molding (RTM) is sensitive to multiple processes and material parameters, such as injection pressure, resin viscosity, and fiber architecture. An experimental study is conducted to investigate the influence of TFP manufacturing parameters on the infiltration process. A transparent RTM tool that enables visual tracking of the resin flow front was developed and constructed. Microsection evaluations were produced to observe the thickness of each part of the composite and evaluate the fiber volume content of that part. Qualitative results have shown that the infiltration process in TFP structures is strongly influenced by a top and bottom flow layer. The stitching points and the yarn also create channels for the resin to flow. Furthermore, the stitching creates some eye-like regions, which are resin-rich zones and are normally not taken into account during the infusion of TFP parts.