Load-carrying capacity of filament-wound E glass/epoxy composite rings

In this study, three different types of E glass/epoxy composite rings were produced by the filament-winding technique: (i) O ring (Type A), (ii) ring with a radial notch (Type B), and (iii) C-shaped ring (Type C). To evaluate the effect of winding angle on the load-carrying capacity of composite rings, five different winding angles were considered: +/- 45 degrees, +/- 55 degrees, +/- 65 degrees, +/- 75 degrees, and +/- 88 degrees. The load capacity of the manufactured composite rings in the tensile hoop direction were determined experimentally using a special test fixture. The experimental results showed that the optimum winding angle was +/- 88 degrees in terms of load-carrying capacity. The rings wound at 55 degrees had the lowest load-carrying capacity. Type A rings had the highest capacity while Type C rings had the lowest.