The Effects of Pressure on Fracture of a Rubbery Particulate Composite

Abstract

Rubbery particulate composites used in aerospace consist of a rubbery matrix with a large volume of embedded particles. Cracks may form in these composites and cause catastrophic failure of the component. If we can better predict their fracture, expensive components with questionable cracks may be usable. Research on fracture of these composites has been ongoing but has been inhibited by their unique behavior. The large deformations and the material inhomogeneity make using conventional experimental techniques and related analytical methods difficult, and matrix viscoelasticity requires careful consideration of strain rates and temperatures. Most experimental research on the fracture of rubbery particulate composites has been under ambient pressure conditions IA, although the effect of pressure is important since service conditions involve high pressure during critical portions of the component life. This work studies the pressure effect on a particulate composite. We tested the composite for fracture properties in a pressure chamber, and investigated the initiation of crack growth and the growth rate.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2000
Accession Number
ADA381385

Entities

People

  • Chun Ting Liu
  • Timothy C. Miller

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Composite Materials
  • Crack Tips
  • Cracks
  • Displacement
  • Elements
  • Fracture (Mechanics)
  • Geometry
  • High Pressure
  • Intensity
  • J Integrals
  • Materials
  • Mechanics
  • Particulates
  • Strain Rate
  • Stress Intensity Factors
  • Thickness

Readers

  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Reinforced Composite Materials
  • Theoretical Analysis.

Technology Areas

  • Space