Deformability of a non-crimp 3D orthogonal weave E-glass composite reinforcement

Deformability of a single-ply E-glass non-crimp 3D orthogonal woven reinforcement (commercialized under trademark 3WEAVE® by 3Tex Inc.) is experimentally investigated. The study is focused on the understanding and measurement of the main deformation modes, tension and in plane shear, which are involved during draping of composite reinforcements by: (i) uniaxial and biaxial tension; (ii) in-plane shear investigation using uniaxial bias extension and picture frame tests; and (iii) measurements of the fabric thickness variation during shear. The test methods common for 2D fabrics are validated for the thick 3D reinforcement. The obtained results represent a data set for the simulation of a forming process with the 3D reinforcement.