Abstract
An experimental investigation of microcracking and physical aging effects in polymer matrix composites is described. The goal of the study was to assess the impact of aging on damage accumulation, in terms of microcracking, and the impact of damage on aging and viscoelastic behavior. Results indicate that while the aging times studied have only a limited influence on damage evolution, elevated temperature and viscoelastic effects have a profound effect on the damage mode seen for certain laminates. Some results are counterintuitive, including the lower strain to failure and the catastrophic failure mode observed at elevated temperatures. Fracture toughness for transverse cracks is seen to increase with temperature, however no significant effect of damage on the aging or viscoelastic properties of the laminates was observed.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-19 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Mechanics Time-Dependent Materials |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2003 |
Funding
This work was sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Agency, Langley Research Center. The authors would like to thank the project monitor, Dr. Thomas S. Gates for his valuable comments during the work. Special thanks are also due to Professor Isaac M. Daniel for graciously allowing use of his equipment for portions of the experimental testing and helpful discussions.
Keywords
- Composite
- Damage
- Matrix cracking
- Physical aging
- Viscoelasticity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Chemical Engineering
- General Materials Science
- Aerospace Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering