Towards highly reconfigurable carbon fiber composite

This article discusses an approach to develop innovative carbon fiber composites that have the capability to change shape according to a prescribed input. The approach is based on the study of specific stacking sequences of unidirectional fiber plies cured on a curved mold. The effects of the above-mentioned aspects are investigated on the manufactured specimen. The combined thermomechanical response is investigated by performing mechanical tests at various prescribed temperatures and the intensity of the shape change is evaluated together with the corresponding stiffness variation. The experimental campaign is mostly devoted to characterize the response of the manufactured sample and demonstrate the great capability of the proposed approach to develop a smart material with enhanced shape and stiffness variation according the prescribed input.