The aim of this study was to develop a process-efficient smart three-dimensional (3D) woven composite T-profile by depositing MXene nanoparticles at the junction for sensing damage and deformation at the junction. Such smart composites could find application in the online health monitoring of complex-shaped parts. The composites were manufactured by infusing epoxy resin in a single-layer fabric T-profile preform, woven in folded form on a dobby shuttle loom using 300 tex glass roving. The chemically etched Ti3C2Tz MXene nanoparticles were dispersed in deionised water and 10 layers were sprayed at the junction of the composite to form a conductive coating. The MXene-coated composite T-profile specimens were subjected to tensile and fatigue loading to study the electromechanical response of the MXene coating to applied displacement. The results showed that the MXene coating was able to sense the sample deformation till ultimate failure of the composite. The MXene coating was also able to effectively sense the tensile-tensile fatigue loading, carried out at 2000 cycles and 4000 cycles for a 50 N-0.5 Hz and a 100 N-1 Hz load-frequency combination, respectively, while being sensitive to the overall deformation of the composite. The smart complex-shaped composites developed in this work were capable of monitoring their health under tensile and fatigue loading in real time.
Keywords: 3D woven composite; MXene; T-profile; mechanical testing.