Fracture Mechanics of Sublaminate Cracks in Composite Laminates,
Abstract
This paper presents an overview of a fracture mechanics approach to some of the most frequently encountered matrix-dominated, sub-laminate cracks in epoxy-based composite laminates. By sub-laminate, it is meant that the cracks are internal to the laminate, generally invisible macroscopically; but are much larger in size than those microcracks considered in the realm of micromechanics. The origin of sub-laminate cracks is assumed to stem from the coalescence of natural material flaws (also microcracks) which occur under a certain favorable laminate stress condition. Thus, the modelling of the mechanisms of sub-laminate crack initiation and propagation is essentially mechanistic and probabilistic in nature. Some specific results from several analytical/experimental investigations using graphite-epoxy laminates are presented and discussed in this paper.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADP001922
Entities
People
- A. S. D. Wang
Organizations
- Drexel University