Temperature-dependent Failure Analysis of Fibre-reinforced Thermoplastics for Automotive
Applications
N. Schramm, L. Kroll
Technische Universität Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany
T. Grätzl, BMW Group, Landshut, Germany

Abstract:
Within the Federal Cluster of Excellence MERGE at the Technische Universität Chemnitz, three unidirectional fibre-reinforced thermoplastics with high potential for car body structures in automotive applications have been analysed: polyamide 6 with glass fibres, polyamide 6 with carbon fibres and polyphthalamide with carbon fibres.
All investigations are performed under thermomechanical loading conditions to analyse the temperaturedependent degradation of mechanical properties. As a result, these properties are analytically described as a function of temperature in the range from -20 °C to +80 °C to extend the physically-based fracture criterion of Cuntze and to design a roof bow of a car body structure for the BMW 7 Series supported by numerical simulation and experimental validation.