Determination of in-plane shear modulus of 3D woven composites with large repeat unit cells

This paper presents the in-plane shear moduli of three-dimensionally (3D) woven angle interlock composites with different proportions of through the thickness binder content. The in-plane shear modulus G xy was determined via three techniques: the plate twist test, the V notched beam Iosipescu (ASTM D 5379) and the V notched rail shear (ASTM D 7078) test. The results indicate that the plate twist method is suitable for the measurement of in-plane shear modulus for different 3D weave architectures with large repeat unit cells, and that the measurement is more representative of the global material response.