Systematic investigation of the low temperature compressive properties and damage mechanisms of 3D woven tubular composites with diverse weaving architectures

This study focused on three typical three-dimensional woven tubular composites (3DWTCs) with different weaving architectures, namely through orthogonal (TO), shallow cross-linked (SCL), and shallow-crossed curved joint (SCCJ), aiming to clarify their low-temperature compressive performance and failure mechanisms. Axial and lateral compressive tests were conducted over a temperature range of 20°C to -60°C. The results indicated that the compressive properties of all 3DWTCs were significantly improved with decreasing temperature: when the temperature decreased from 20°C to -60°C, the axial ultimate stress of TO increased by 71.89%, the compressive modulus of SCCJ rose by 94.17%, and the lateral energy absorption of SCL improved by 30.52%. Structurally, TO exhibited the best axial compressive performance, followed by SCL and SCCJ, while SCL outperformed the other two weaving architectures in lateral compression. Low temperatures induced a toughness-to-brittleness transition in 3DWTCs, with TO showing concentrated crack distribution and SCCJ presenting dispersed microcracks; the main micro-damage mechanisms included matrix cracking, fiber/matrix interfacial cracking, fiber pull-out, and resin embrittlement. The findings provide valuable guidance for the structural optimization, performance design, and safety evaluation of low-temperature-resistant lightweight components in extreme engineering fields.