Molding preparation and tensile properties test of carbon fiber reinforced aluminum laminates

Due to their excellent mechanical properties, Carbon fiber reinforced aluminum laminates (CARALL) are widely used in aerospace, transportation, military and navigation fields. In this study, a method of preparing CARALL by molding process was introduced. We used this method to obtain two kinds of CARALL, Al-CFRP-Al laminated plate and CFRP-Al-CFRP laminated plate. Then we tested their tensile properties. The experimental results indicated that the tensile properties of Al-CFRP-Al laminates were 865.1 MPa, while the tensile properties of CFRP-Al-CFRP laminates were 718.2 MPa. In comparison to pure aluminum alloy, the tensile strength of both laminates had been significantly improved. By observing the microstructure of the fiber layer of the laminated plate, it was found that the carbon fiber is a brittle material, and its fiber bundle can effectively enhance the material properties during the tensile process. Finally, the tensile failure behavior of the prepared CARALL was analyzed by finite element simulation, which further confirmed that the use of carbon fiber composite can effectively enhance the tensile properties of aluminum alloy. Through this study, the tensile properties of aluminum alloy were successfully enhanced by CFRP, which provided a method for the study of aluminum alloy performance enhancement.