Pearl-Chain Formation of Discontinuous Carbon Fiber under an Electrical Field

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical derivation on aligning discontinuous carbon fiber with an applied electric field, and prove the theory with experiment. A principle with regard to the occurrence of carbon fiber alignment is presented after an introduction of the electromechanical quantities of dielectrics. Based on this principle, an estimation of the polarizability tensor is employed to calculate the required electric field to achieve fiber alignment in liquid solution (e.g., water, resin, etc.). Individual carbon fiber is modeled as a polarizable dielectric cylinder in liquid resin and its motion under direct current (DC) electrical field is decomposed into a polarization effect and rotation effect. A value of 20.12 V/mm is required to align short carbon fibers (0.15 mm) long in liquid resin and is experimentally validated. Finally, an expression to include weight percentage as a means of controlling pearl-chain formation is derived to change the composite’s electrical conductivity.

Keywords

• polarization
• carbon fiber alignment
• pearl-chain formation