Synthesis and Micro-CT Driven Void Analysis of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Elastomeric Skin for 1D Morphing Wings

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the development of adaptive wing structures for aerospace purposes. One promising approach involves utilizing carbon fiber-reinforced elastomeric skins, enabling them to undergo one-dimensional (1D) morphing. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation into the synthesis, characterization, and void analysis of a specifically designed elastomer-based skin for carbon fiber-reinforced 1D morphing wings. The chosen elastomeric material, based on silicon, possesses desirable mechanical properties such as high flexibility and durability. The synthesis process involves precisely formulating the elastomer and employing a meticulous fabrication technique to achieve a uniform and well-adhered skin onto the unidirectional carbon fiber. Micro-ct tomography, a non-destructive imaging technique, was utilized to assess the quality of the carbon fiber reinforcement and examine any potential voids or defects. The results from the X-ray tomography analysis provide valuable insights into the distribution and morphology of voids within the carbon fiber, both before and after cyclic stretching. By quantifying the void content and analyzing their distribution patterns, it is determined that the 1D-reinforced skin exhibits excellent structural integrity and quality. In summary, a silicon-based morphing skin, reinforced with unidirectional carbon fiber, is successfully synthesized. The 3-dimensional X-ray tomography analysis reveals a void content of 0.32% after synthesis, which slightly increases to 0.73% after ten cycles of loading-unloading test-a level that is deemed acceptable. Furthermore, this arrangement enables 1D morphing of up to a maximum of 200% with ease. The findings of this study contribute to the advancement of elastomeric materials for morphing skins in aerospace applications.