Investigation of Thermal Fatigue in Fiber Composite Materials.
Abstract
Graphite-epoxy laminates were thermally cycled to determine the effects of thermal cycles on tensile properties and thermal expansion coefficients of the laminates. Three 12-ply laminate configurations were subjected to up to 5000 thermal cycles. The cumulative effect of the thermal cycles was determined by destructive inspection (electron micrographs and tensile tests) of samples after progressively larger numbers of cycles. After thermal cycling, the materials' tensile strengths, moduli, and thermal expansion coefficients were significantly lower than for the materials as fabricated. Most of the degradation of properties occurred after only a few cycles. The property degradation was attributed primarily to the progressive development of matrix cracks whose locations depended upon the layup orientation of the laminate. (MM)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1976
- Accession Number
- ADA305479
Entities
People
- Abdel A. Fahmy
- Thomas G. Cunningham
Organizations
- North Carolina State University