Experimental research on compressibility of unidirectional fiber cloth

The fiber compaction curves of unidirectional fiber cloth were measured by the equipment designed by the authors, and fitted curves were obtained using Gutowski's compaction equation. A parameter describing the compressibility was proposed. By using this parameter, several factors which affect the compressibility were studied, including the initial fiber volume fraction, number of layers, variety of lubricated medium, way of lay up and the variety of fiber. The results show that the initial fiber volume fraction, number of layers and variety of lubricated medium have no remarkable effects on the compressibility of the unidirectional fiber cloth. The state of whether fibers are lubricated, the way of lay up and the variety of fiber influence the compressibility significantly.