Evaluating the Performance of Composite Tubes Drawn from Hybrids of Aluminum, Steel, and Carbon Fiber

Present demands for weight reduction of vehicles to decrease the carbon footprint in the transport industry have increased the need for lightweight tubes. In this paper, composite tubes are drawn from two aluminum tubes and reinforcements with the aim of maximizing mechanical performance while maintaining low weight. The reinforcements are placed between the two aluminum tubes and are made from blanks of 22MnB5 steel or carbon fiber laid in different quantities and patterns. The compressive stresses in tube sinking are used to hold the reinforcements in the composites without the need for resins and energy-intensive heating or curing cycles. The composites are weighed, and their performance is evaluated by mechanical test. Bending tests reveal an increase in the bending strength of the reinforced tubes by 15% for both composites reinforced by carbon fiber and 22MnB5 steel. However, the composites made from carbon fiber have higher stiffness and lower weight. The bending strength and residual stresses of composites manufactured with different carbon fiber layouts and quantities are evaluated to determine their performance. Increasing the carbon fiber content did not improve the stiffness and ultimate tensile strength of the composites, indicating the compressive stresses from drawing and carbon fiber content should be optimized to achieve the best mechanical performance.

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Periodical:

Materials Science Forum (Volume 1187)

Pages:

129-136

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4028/p-qcwHF8

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Cite this paper

Online since:

April 2026

Authors:

Johannes Buhl, Lemopi Isidore Besong*

Keywords:

Automotive Composites, Mechanical Performance, Tube Drawing, Weight Reduction

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Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

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* - Corresponding Author

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