Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Triaxial Braid Reinforcements

Triaxial braided reinforcements are extensively used as main constituent materials in various biomedical and composite applications. The material parameters, and the choice of process parameters during the braiding process, have a significant influence on the geometrical and mechanical properties of these reinforcements. In this study, the manufacturing on a braiding loom of triaxial braids with a large range of braiding angle is presented. On these samples geometrical properties, as bias yarn length, crimp, linear mass, are experimentally identified in function of the braiding angle. From uniaxial tests, the specific tensile behavior of these braided fabrics is characterized. These results are compared with analytical models described in the literature. Associated to this experimental approach, the geometry of these triaxial braids is numerically modeled thanks to TexMind Braider software dedicated for three-dimensional creation of braided structures. Comparison between characteristics experimentally identified and computed is analyzed.