2D braided composites: A review for stiffness critical applications

Composite materials offer numerous advantages over conventional engineering metals. Over the years, the use of composite materials has increased significantly. Braiding is a promising and already very commonly used method to form continuous fiber reinforced composite materials. Braided structures are used in a broad range of applications including, but not limited to, medical, aerospace, and automotive. This paper reviews studies published in the field of 2D braiding in order to outline advantages and disadvantages of the process, common preform impregnation techniques, and common stiffness critical applications. Furthermore, elastic property prediction models published in the field are presented for the purpose of stiffness critical designs and applications.