Fatigue delamination growth in woven glass/epoxy composite laminates under mixed-mode II/III loading conditions at cryogenic temperatures

We investigate the cryogenic delamination growth behavior in woven glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite laminates under mixed-mode II/III fatigue loading. Fatigue delamination tests were conducted with six-point bending plate (6PBP) specimens at room temperature, liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K) and liquid helium temperature (4 K), and the delamination growth rate data for various mixed-mode ratios of Modes II and III were obtained. The energy release rate was evaluated using the three-dimensional finite element method. In addition, the fatigue delamination growth mechanisms were characterized by scanning electron microscopic observations of the specimen fracture surfaces.     

Cryogenic through-thickness tensile characterization of plain woven glass/epoxy composite laminates using cross specimens: Experimental test and finite element analysis

This paper investigates the through-thickness tensile behavior of woven glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite laminates at cryogenic temperatures. Tensile tests were carried out with cross specimens at room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K), and the through-thickness elastic and strength properties of the woven GFRP laminates were evaluated. The failure characteristics of the woven GFRP laminates were also studied by optical and laser scanning microscopy observations. A three-dimensional finite element analysis was performed to calculate the stress distributions in the cross specimens, and the failure conditions of the specimens were examined. It is found that the cross specimen is suitable for the cryogenic through-thickness tensile characterization of laminated composite materials. In addition, the through-thickness Young's modulus of the woven GFRP composite laminates is dominated by the properties of the matrix polymer in the given temperature, while the tensile strength is characterized by both, the fiber to matrix interface energy and the cohesion energy of the matrix polymer.     

Bridging effect on mode I fatigue delamination behavior in composite laminates

This paper discusses the bridging effect of fibres on mode I fatigue delamination growth in unidirectional and multidirectional polymer composite laminates based on a series of double cantilever beam (DCB) tests. From the results, there is sufficient evidence that fibre bridging can decrease the crack growth rate da/dN significantly, and using only one fatigue resistance curve to determine the delamination behavior in composite materials with large-scale fibre bridging may be inadequate. The bridging created in fatigue delamination is different from that of quasi-static delamination at the same crack length. So it is incorrect to use the resistance curve (R-curve) from quasi-static delamination tests to normalize fatigue delamination results.     

Damage sequence in thin-ply composite laminates under out-of-plane loading

The study of the damage sequence in polymer-based composite laminates during an impact event is a difficult issue. The problem can be more complex when the plies are thin. In this paper, quasi-static indentation tests were conducted on thin-ply laminates to understand qualitatively the damage mechanisms and their sequence during low-velocity impact loading. TeXtreme® plain weave plies were used with two different thicknesses, 0.08 mm and 0.16 mm (referenced as ultra-thin-ply and thin-ply, respectively), and tested under different load levels. Load–displacement curves were analyzed and the extent of damage was inspected using optical microscopy and ultrasonic technique. The results showed that the damage onset occurs earlier in thin-ply laminates. The damage onset in thin-ply laminates is matrix cracking which induces delaminations, whereas for ultra-thin-ply laminates is due to delaminations which are induced by shear forces and small amount of matrix cracking. Moreover, the fiber breakage appears earlier in ultra-thin-ply laminates.     

Environmental effects on mode II fatigue delamination growth in an aerospace grade carbon/epoxy composite

An investigation of the effects of water, hydraulic fluid and deicing fluid exposure on mode II delamination propagation in an aerospace grade composite is presented. All exposed specimens suffered a loss in delamination toughness and an increase in fatigue delamination growth rate, which was particularly significant for deicing fluid exposure. The number of cycles for delamination onset was also reduced by these exposures, although scanning electron micrographs showed no significant differences between the fracture pattern of dry and exposed specimens. It was also shown that environmental effects can be simply accounted for in a cohesive zone based finite element model.     

Fatigue crack growth in thin notched woven glass composites under tensile loading. Part II: Modelling

Fatigue propagation of a through-the-thickness crack in thin woven glass laminates is difficult to model when using homogeneous material assumption. Crack growth depends on both the fatigue behaviour of the fibres and of the matrix, these two phenomena occurring at different time and space scales. The developed finite element model is based on the architecture of the fabric and on the fatigue behaviours of the matrix and the fibre, even if the pure resin and fibre behaviours are not used. That thus limits the physical meaning of this model. Basically, the objective of this simulation is to illustrate and to confirm proposed crack growth mechanism. The fatigue damage matrix is introduced with user spring elements that link the two fibre directions of the fabric. Fibre fatigue behaviour is based on the S-N curves. Numerical results are compared to experimental crack growth rates and observed damage in the crack tip. Relatively good agreement between predictions and experiments was found.     

Cohesive zone modelling of delamination response of a composite laminate with interleaved nylon 6,6 nanofibres

This work simulates numerically Double Cantilever Beam and End Notched Flexure experiments on Carbon Fibre Epoxy Resin specimens that have been performed by some of the authors in a previous work. Specimens have been nanomodified by interleaving plies with a layer of electrospun nanofibres in the delaminated interface. Eight different configurations of nanofibres have been used as interleave, for a total of 9 configurations (8 nanomodified plus the virgin one) to be simulated for both kind of tests to identify the cohesive zone parameters corresponding to the effect of nanofibre diameter, nanolayer thickness and nanofibre orientation on the delamination behaviour of the composite.Results showed that a bilinear damage law is necessary for almost all nanomodified configurations, and presented a clear relationship between nanomat layer parameters and the cohesive energy of the interface.     

Mode-I,mode-II and mixed-mode I+II fracture behavior of composite bonded joints: Experimental characterization and numerical simulation

The fracture behavior of composite bonded joints subjected to mode-I, mode-II and mixed-mode I + II loading conditions was characterized by mechanical testing and numerical simulation. The composite adherents were bonded using two different epoxy adhesives; namely, the EA 9695 film adhesive and the mixed EA 9395-EA 9396 paste adhesive. The fracture toughness of the joints was evaluated in terms of the critical energy release rate. Mode-I tests were conducted using the double-cantilever beam specimen, mode-II tests using the end-notch flexure specimen and mixed-mode tests (three mixity ratios) using a combination of the two aforementioned specimens. The fracture behavior of the bonded joints was also simulated using the cohesive zone modeling method aiming to evaluate the method and point out its strengths and weaknesses. The simulations were performed using the explicit FE code LS-DYNA. The experimental results show a considerable scatter which is common for fracture toughness tests. The joints attained with the film adhesive have much larger fracture toughness (by 30–60%) than the joints with the paste adhesive, which exhibited a rather brittle behavior. The simulation results revealed that the cohesive zone modeling method performs well for mode-I load-cases while for mode-II and mixed-mode load-cases, modifications of the input parameters and the traction-separation law are needed in order for the method to effectively simulate the fracture behavior of the joints.     

A progressive damage simulation algorithm for GFRP composites under cyclic loading. Part I: Material constitutive model

A life prediction algorithm and its implementation for a thick-shell finite element formulation for GFRP composites under constant or variable amplitude loading is introduced in this work. It is a distributed damage model in the sense that constitutive material response is defined in terms of meso-mechanics for the unidirectional ply. The algorithm modules for non-linear material behaviour, pseudo-static loading-unloading-reloading response, Constant Life Diagrams and strength and stiffness degradation due to cyclic loading were implemented on a robust and comprehensive experimental database for a unidirectional glass/epoxy ply. The model, based on property definition in the principal coordinate system of the constitutive ply, can be used, besides life prediction, to assess strength and stiffness of any multidirectional laminate after arbitrary, constant or variable amplitude multi-axial cyclic loading. Numerical predictions were corroborated satisfactorily by test data from constant amplitude fatigue of glass/epoxy laminates of various stacking sequences.     

Anisomorphic constant fatigue life diagrams for a woven fabric carbon/epoxy laminate at different temperatures

The effect of temperature on the constant fatigue life (CFL) diagram for a woven fabric carbon/epoxy quasi-isotropic laminate has been examined. Constant amplitude fatigue tests are first performed at different stress ratios on coupon specimens at room temperature (RT), 100 and 150 °C, respectively. The experimental results show that the CFL diagram for the woven CFRP laminate, which is plotted in the plane of mean and alternating stresses, becomes asymmetric about the alternating stress axis, regardless of test temperature, and shrinks as temperature increases. The CFL envelopes for given constant values of life are nonlinear over the range of fatigue cycles, regardless of test temperature, and they take peaks approximately at a particular stress ratio “critical stress ratio” that is given by the ratio of compressive strength to tensile strength. Then, the experimental CFL diagram for each temperature is compared with prediction using the anisomorphic CFL diagram approach that allows constructing the asymmetric and nonlinear CFL diagram for a given composite on the basis of the static strengths in tension and compression and the reference S-N relationship for the critical stress ratio. It is demonstrated that the anisomorphic CFL diagram approach can successfully be employed for predicting the CFL diagram and thus for predicting the S-N relationships for the woven CFRP laminate at any stress ratios, regardless of test temperature.     

A progressive damage simulation algorithm for GFRP composites under cyclic loading. Part II: FE implementation and model validation

The FE implementation of FADAS, a material constitutive model capable of simulating the mechanical behaviour of GFRP composites under variable amplitude multiaxial cyclic loading, was presented. The discretization of the problem domain by means of FE is necessary for predicting the damage progression in real structures, as failure initiates at the vicinity of a stress concentrator, causing stress redistribution and the gradual spread of damage until the global failure of the structure. The implementation of the stiffness and strength degradation models in the principal material directions of the unidirectional ply was thoroughly discussed. Details were also presented on the FE models developed, the computational effort needed and the definition of final failure considered. Numerical predictions were corroborated satisfactorily by experimental data from constant amplitude uniaxial fatigue of multidirectional glass/epoxy laminates under various stress ratios. The validation of predictions included fatigue strength, stiffness degradation and residual static strength after cyclic loading.     

Numerical method for optimizing design variables of carbon-fiber-reinforced epoxy composite coil springs

To successfully reduce a vehicle's weight by replacing steel with composite materials, it is essential to optimize the material parameters and design variables of the structure. In this study, we investigated numerical and experimental methods for determining the ply angles and wire diameters of carbon fiber/epoxy composite coil springs to attain a spring rate equal to that of an equivalent steel component. First, the shear modulus ratio for two materials was calculated as a function of the ply angles and compared with the experimental results. Then, by using the equation of the spring rate with respect to the shear modulus and design variables, normalized spring rates were obtained for specific ply angles and wire diameters. Finally, a finite element model for an optimal composite coil spring was constructed and analyzed to obtain the static spring rate, which was then compared with the experimental results.     

Modelling delamination onset and growth in pin loaded composite laminates

A three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model is created with cohesive zone elements (CZE) to simulate a mechanically fastened [0°/90°]_s pin-loaded joint in a composite laminate. The model incorporates fully integrated solid elements in the pin-loaded area to accurately capture the high stress gradients. Contact based cohesive elements with a bilinear traction–separation law are inserted between the layers to capture the onset and growth of delamination. The stress distribution around the pin-loaded hole was verified with the widely used cosine stress distribution model. Results from the FE model show that delamination damage initiated at the point of maximum average shear stress at the 0°/90° interface. The delaminated area develops an elliptical shape which grows in a non-self similar manner with increasing pin displacement. It is concluded that a progressive damage model should be included to provide a full understanding of the failure sequence, work that the authors are currently engaged with.     

Matrix failure in composite laminates under compressive loading

The failure envelope of the matrix in composite laminates under compressive loads has not received much attention in literature. There are very little to no experimental results to show a suitable failure envelope for this constituent found in composites. With increasing popularity in the use of micromechanical analysis to predict progressive damage of composite structures which requires the use of individual failure criteria for the fibre and matrix, it is important that matrix behaviour under compression is modelled correctly.In this study, off-axis compression tests under uniaxial compression loading are used to promote matrix failure. Through the use of micromechanical analysis involving Representative Volume Elements, the authors were able to extract the principal stresses on the matrix at failure. The results indicated that hydrostatic stresses play an important role in the failure of the matrix. Thus, Drucker–Prager failure criterion is recommended when modelling compressive matrix failure in composite structures.     

Acoustic emission analysis of composite pressure vessels under constant and cyclic pressure

The use of acoustic emission (AE) for the detection of damage in carbon fibre composite pressure vessels was evaluated for constant and cyclic internal gas pressure loading conditions. AE was capable of monitoring the initiation and accumulation of damage events in a composite pressure vessel (CPVs), although it was not possible to reliably distinguish carbon fibre breakage from other microscopic damage events (e.g. matrix cracks, fibre/matrix interfacial cracks). AE tests performed on the carbon fibre laminate used as the skin of pressure vessels revealed that the development of damage is highly variable under constant pressure, with large differences in the rupture life and acoustic emission events at final failure. Numerical analysis of the skin laminate under constant tensile stress revealed that the high variability in the stress rupture life is due mainly to the stochastic behaviour of the carbon fibre rupture process.     

XFEM simulation of delamination in composite laminates

In this paper, the extended finite element method (XFEM) is extended to simulate delamination problems in composite laminates. A crack-leading model is proposed and implemented in the ABAQUS® to discriminate different delamination morphologies, i.e., the 0°/0° interface in unidirectional laminates and the 0°/90° interface in multidirectional laminates, which accounts for both interlaminar and intralaminar crack propagation. Three typical delamination problems were simulated and verified. The results of single delamination in unidirectional laminates under pure mode I, mode II, and mixed mode I/II correspond well with the analytical solutions. The results of multiple delaminations in unidirectional laminates are in good agreement with experimental data. Finally, using a recently proposed test that characterizes the interaction of delamination and matrix cracks in cross-ply laminates, the present numerical results of the delamination migration caused by the coupled failure mechanisms are consistent with experimental observations.     

Simulation of curing process of carbon/epoxy composite during autoclave degassing molding by considering phase changes of epoxy resin

Strain monitoring of a carbon/epoxy composite cross-ply laminate ([0₅/90₅]_s) during thermoforming was conducted by using fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. The entire process was simulated by employing finite element analysis (FEA) by taking into consideration the phase changes of the epoxy resin. For the precise simulation of the curing process, a dielectrometry sensor was used to detect the epoxy-resin dissipation factor, which in turn was used to identify the curing point. To investigate the phase changes and consolidation of the composite laminate by employing FEA, modulus changes with temperature were measured by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and the permeability was estimated by measuring the fiber volume fraction according to the curing temperature. As the epoxy resin changed from a liquid to solid phase, the strain generated along the carbon fibers dynamically changed, and the analysis results generally predicted the strain variation quite well. To apply this simulation technique to practical structures, a composite-aluminum hybrid wheel was analyzed and experimentally verified.     

Experimental study on delamination migration in composite laminates

The transition of delamination growth between different ply interfaces in composite tape laminates, known as migration, was investigated experimentally. The test method used promotes delamination growth initially along a 0/θ ply interface, which eventually migrates to a neighbouring θ/0 ply interface. Specimens with θ = 60° and 75° were tested. Migration occurs in two main stages: (1) the initial 0/θ interface delamination turns, transforming into intraply cracks that grow through the θ plies; this process occurs at multiple locations across the width of a specimen, (2) one or more of these cracks growing through the θ plies reaches and turns into the θ/0 ply interface, where it continues to grow as a delamination. A correlation was established between these experimental observations and the shear stress sign at the delamination front, obtained by finite element analyses.Overall, the experiments provide insight into the key mechanisms that govern delamination growth and migration.     

Two-parameter model for delamination growth under mode I fatigue loading (Part B: Model development)

A two-parameter model for mode I fatigue delamination growth has been developed and is presented in this paper. The model is based on the mechanisms of decohesion that was determined through SEM investigations. The experimental data of fatigue delamination growth under mode I fatigue from the current study and the literature has been used for the validation of the model.     

Meso-scale modeling of hypervelocity impact damage in composite laminates

ObjectivesThis paper presents an approach to numerical modeling of hypervelocity impact on carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP).MethodsThe approach is based on the detailed meso-scale representation of a composite laminate. Material models suitable for explicit modeling of laminate structure, including fiber-reinforced layers and resin-rich regions, are described. Two numerical impact tests with significantly different impact energies were conducted on thermoplastic AS4/PEEK materials with quasi-isotropic layups. Simulations employed both SPH and Finite element methods.ResultsResults of simulations are verified against experimental data available from the literature and demonstrate good correlation with the experiments.ConclusionsDeveloped modeling approach can be used in simulations where post-impact damage progression in composite material is of the main focus.