TY - GEN
T1 - Fracture toughness and fatigue behavior of nanoreinforced carbon/epoxy composites
AU - Fenner, Joel S.
AU - Daniel, Isaac M.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - In this study, the objective was to develop, manufacture, and test hybrid nano/microcomposites with a nanoparticle reinforced matrix and demonstrate enhancements to damage tolerance properties in the form of fracture toughness and fatigue life. The material employed was a woven carbon fiber/epoxy composite, with multi-wall carbon nanotubes (CNT) as a nano-scale reinforcement to the epoxy matrix. A direct-mixing process, aided by a block copolymer dispersant and sonication, was employed to produce the nanoparticle-filled epoxy matrix. Initial tests were performed on cast epoxy sheets (neat and with nanotubes) to determine effects of nanotubes on the matrix alone. Specimens were tested in Mode I three point bend, showing a 20% increase in critical stress intensity factor K for nanotube-filled epoxy over neat resin. Woven carbon fiber performs were then infused with epoxy (neat and with nanotubes) by a wet layup process to produce flat composite plates. Composite specimens cut from these plates were subjected to Mode I double cantilever beam (DCB) tests (straight and tapered) showing nearly a 200% increase in Mode-I fracture toughness G for nano-reinforced composite over reference composite. Fatigue tests were then performed on the woven carbon fiber composite in the form of cyclic short-beam three point bend to produce interlaminar shear fatigue. Stress-life curves obtained from cyclic short-bearm three point bend showed an increase of more than an order of magnitude in cyclic life at a given cyclic load between reference and nano-reinforced composite. Fatigue-fracture tests were performed on interlaminar Mode-I tapered double cantilever beams to produce Mode-I interlaminar fatigue-crack growth. The results of cyclic interlaminar Mode-I testing showed a much lower crack growth rate for nano-reinforced composite than for reference material. SEM micrographs of failed specimens also showed significant differences in fracture surface morphology between nano-reinforced and reference composite.
AB - In this study, the objective was to develop, manufacture, and test hybrid nano/microcomposites with a nanoparticle reinforced matrix and demonstrate enhancements to damage tolerance properties in the form of fracture toughness and fatigue life. The material employed was a woven carbon fiber/epoxy composite, with multi-wall carbon nanotubes (CNT) as a nano-scale reinforcement to the epoxy matrix. A direct-mixing process, aided by a block copolymer dispersant and sonication, was employed to produce the nanoparticle-filled epoxy matrix. Initial tests were performed on cast epoxy sheets (neat and with nanotubes) to determine effects of nanotubes on the matrix alone. Specimens were tested in Mode I three point bend, showing a 20% increase in critical stress intensity factor K for nanotube-filled epoxy over neat resin. Woven carbon fiber performs were then infused with epoxy (neat and with nanotubes) by a wet layup process to produce flat composite plates. Composite specimens cut from these plates were subjected to Mode I double cantilever beam (DCB) tests (straight and tapered) showing nearly a 200% increase in Mode-I fracture toughness G for nano-reinforced composite over reference composite. Fatigue tests were then performed on the woven carbon fiber composite in the form of cyclic short-beam three point bend to produce interlaminar shear fatigue. Stress-life curves obtained from cyclic short-bearm three point bend showed an increase of more than an order of magnitude in cyclic life at a given cyclic load between reference and nano-reinforced composite. Fatigue-fracture tests were performed on interlaminar Mode-I tapered double cantilever beams to produce Mode-I interlaminar fatigue-crack growth. The results of cyclic interlaminar Mode-I testing showed a much lower crack growth rate for nano-reinforced composite than for reference material. SEM micrographs of failed specimens also showed significant differences in fracture surface morphology between nano-reinforced and reference composite.
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U2 - 10.1007/978-3-319-00873-8_6
DO - 10.1007/978-3-319-00873-8_6
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84886850437
SN - 9783319008721
T3 - Conference Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics Series
SP - 37
EP - 45
BT - Experimental Mechanics of Composite, Hybrid, and Multifunctional Materials - Proceedings of the 2013 Annual Conference on Experimental and Applied Mechanics
T2 - 2013 Annual Conference on Experimental and Applied Mechanics
Y2 - 3 June 2013 through 5 June 2013
ER -