Interfacial adhesion improvement of plain woven carbon fiber reinforced epoxy filled with micro-fibrillated cellulose by addition liquid rubber

In certain application of fiber reinforced polymer composites fracture resistance is required. The aim of this study was to improve the interfacial adhesion between plain woven carbon fiber (CF) and epoxy matrix filled with microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) modified with carboxyl-terminated butadiene acrylonitrile (CTBN) as liquid rubber. CF/Epoxy/MFC/CTBN composite was characterized by different techniques, namely, tensile, bending, fracture toughness (mode I) test, and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results reveal that at a fiber content 1% of MFC and 10% CTBN, initiation and propagation interlaminar fracture toughness in mode I improved significantly by 96 and 127%, respectively, which could be attribute to strong adhesion between filled epoxy, CF, and rubber. This can be explained by SEM at given weight as well; SEM images showed that in front of the tip, fiber breakage during initiation delimination as well as the extensive matrix deformation between fibers accounting for increase fracture toughness.     

Analytical and experimental investigation of fatigue crack propagation for polyethylene methacrylate

The fatigue crack growth of most polymers is sensitive to temperature. In this paper, tests on fatigue crack growth of polyethylene methacrylate were carried out and the fatigue crack growth rate was obtained at temperature range −50 to 90 °C and frequency 1 Hz. The fatigue crack propagation (FCP) properties of polyethylene methacrylate and metals were studied comparatively and a new modified formula for FCP rate was deduced to describe the polyethylene methacrylate FCP rates. The formula includes four parameters: the FCP threshold, Young's modulus, fracture toughness and stress ratio. The predicted curve based on this modified formula corresponds very well with the test data of polyethylene methacrylate at different temperatures. Therefore, the modified formula can be used to describe the FCP process.     

Failure prediction in toughened epoxy resins

In order to improve the damage tolerance of composites and the performance of adhesives, one of the methods being considered is toughened or modified epoxy resins. The modifiers which are commonly used are CTBN rubber and inorganic fillers. A major toughening mechanism causing the increased toughness is the shear deformation process occurring near the crack tip. The effect of such a deformation process is to blunt the crack tip and increase the size of the plastic zone. Several models are available to predict the toughness on the basis of plastic zone size, crack tip opening displacement or crack tip radius, but these are only applicable to Mode I crack extension. Also, most of these approaches use only one stress component which is normal to the crack plane to predict the fracture toughness. The present paper reviews the existing models and suggests a criterion based on the phenomenological approach to failure in order to study the yielding and fracture toughness behavior of both unmodified and modified epoxies. The proposed yield and fracture criteria give predictions in good agreement with experimental results.     

Effect of hybridization of liquid rubber and nanosilica particles on the morphology, mechanical properties, and fracture toughness of epoxy composites

A liquid carboxyl-terminated butadiene–acrylonitrile copolymer (CTBN) and SiO₂ particles in nanosize were used to modify epoxy, and binary CTBN/epoxy composites and ternary CTBN/SiO₂/epoxy composites were prepared using piperidine as curing agent. The morphologies of the composites were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM), and it is indicated that the size of CTBN particles increases with CTBN content in the binary composites, however, the CTBN particle size decreases with the content of nanosilica in the ternary composites. The effects of CTBN and nanosilica particles on the mechanical and fracture toughness of the composites were also investigated, it is shown that the tensile mechanical properties of the binary CTBN-modified epoxy composites can be further improved by addition of nanosilica particles, moreover, obvious improvement in fracture toughness of epoxy can be achieved by hybridization of liquid CTBN rubber and nanosilica particles. The morphologies of the fractured surface of the composites in compact tension tests were explored attentively by field emission SEM (FE-SEM), it is found that different zones (pre-crack, stable crack propagation, and fast crack zones) on the fractured surface can be obviously discriminated, and the toughening mechanism is mainly related to the stable crack propagation zone. The cavitation of the rubber particles and subsequent void growth by matrix shear deformation are the main toughening mechanisms in both binary and ternary composites.     

Improved fracture toughness and fatigue life of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite due to incorporation of rubber nanoparticles

In this study, core–shell rubber (CSR) nanoparticles with approximate particle size of 35 nm were used as a modifier for the epoxy polymer. The effects of various CSR contents in the epoxy matrix on mode I interlaminar fracture toughness, tensile strength, and fatigue life of the carbon fabric reinforced epoxy (CF/EP) composites were investigated. The experimental results showed that the mode I interlaminar fracture toughness at crack initiation and propagation significantly improved by 71.21 and 58.47 %, respectively, when 8.0 wt% CSR was dispersed in the epoxy matrix. The fatigue life of the modified CF/EP composites at all of CSR contents dramatically increased 75–100 times longer than that of the unmodified CF/EP composites at high cycle fatigue while tensile strength slightly increased by about 10 %. Field emission scanning electron microcopy (FESEM) observations of the fracture surfaces were conducted to explain failure mechanisms of CSR addition to the CF/EP composites. The evidences of the rubber nanoparticle debonding, plastic void growth, and microshear banding were credited for delaying the onset of matrix crack, and reducing the crack growth rate, as a result, attributed to increase in the mechanical properties of the CF/EP composites.     

Fatigue propagation behaviour of polystyrene/polyethylene blends

Fatigue crack propagation (FCP) of injection-moulded polystyrene (PS) and 95/5, 85/15 and 70/30 PS/high-density polyethylene (HDPE) blends at loading frequencies of 2 and 20 Hz was studied. The FCP results showed that increasing the HDPE content caused a progressive reduction of the fatigue crack growth rates, especially when a styrene/ethylene– butylene/styrene (SEBS) terpolymer was added as a compatibilizer. Increasing the loading frequency also led to a fatigue crack growth rate reduction. Moreover, the fatigue crack growth rates were lower at a given cyclic stress intensity factor range, K, when the crack propagated normal, instead of parallel, to the melt-flow direction during injection moulding. Fractographic observations indicated that discontinuous growth bands (DGBs), associated with the fracture of crazes in the plastic zone, were present through most or all of the fracture surfaces of the PS/HDPE specimens. In the presence of sufficient HDPE, these DGBs were formed by the initiation, growth and coalescence of large dimples initiated at HDPE particles ahead of the microscopic crack front, similar to a multiple crazing effect. The loading frequency effect on the FCP behaviour of these blends is attributed to a time-dependent deformation process. It is concluded that the FCP behaviour of these blends is strongly affected by the loading direction with respect to the matrix and minor phase orientation, by the presence of a compatibilizer, by the composition of the blend and by the testing conditions. © Chapman & Hall.     

疲劳裂纹在奥氏体/铁素体异种钢焊接接头中的扩展行为

采用三点弯曲试样研究了疲劳裂纹在奥氏体/铁素体异种钢焊接接头中的扩展行为与显微组织的关系,测得疲劳裂纹在Cr25Ni13/13CrMo44异种钢焊接接头中的扩展速率da/dN,并且讨论了疲劳裂纹扩展与显微组织之间的关系。实验结果表明,疲劳裂纹在异种钢焊接接头熔合区中扩展的路径,是接头中韧性最低的热影响区过热区,裂纹在铁素体材料侧,跟随熔合线并平行于熔合线5～25μm扩展,而马氏体层对疲劳裂纹有较大的抗力,疲劳裂纹的扩展路径主要受组织韧性的控制。疲劳裂纹在Cr25Ni13/13CrMo44异种钢接头的扩展速率为：da/dN=7.07×10-13(△K)3.863。     

端羧基丁腈橡胶改性环氧树脂的结构与性能

用液体端羧基丁腈橡胶(CTBN)对环氧树脂(EP)进行改性,合成了CTBN/EP预聚物,FT-IR分析表明,在反应中EP的环氧基开环后与CTBN的羧基反应生成了酯键。研究了CTBN/EP/聚醚胺(PEA)体系的力学性能,结果表明,随着CTBN含量的增大,其弯曲强度、拉伸强度降低,冲击强度、断裂伸长率增大,说明CTBN通过化学预聚改性的EP具有良好的韧性。SEM分析表明,固化过程中析出了橡胶相并均匀分散在环氧树脂基体中。     

Enhancement of fracture toughness,mechanical and thermal properties of rubber/epoxy composites by incorporation of graphene nanoplatelets

Carboxyl terminated butadiene acrylonitrile (CTBN) was added to epoxy resins to improve the fracture toughness, and then two different lateral dimensions of graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs), nominally <1 μm (GnP-C750) and 5 μm (GnP-5) in diameter, were individually incorporated into the CTBN/epoxy to fabricate multi-phase composites. The study showed that GnP-5 is more favorable for enhancing the properties of CTBN/epoxy. GnPs/CTBN/epoxy ternary composites with significant toughness and thermal conductivity enhancements combined with comparable stiffness to that of the neat resin were successfully achieved by incorporating 3 wt.% GnP-5 into 10 wt.% CTBN modified epoxy resins. According to the SEM investigations, GnP-5 debonding from the matrix is suppressed due to the presence of CTBN. Nevertheless, apart from rubber cavitation and matrix shear banding, additional active toughening mechanisms induced by GnP-5, such as crack deflection, layer breakage and separation/delamination of GnP-5 layers contributed to the enhanced fracture toughness of the hybrid composites.     

Influence of residual fatigue damage on the fracture toughness parameters of an AA6082-T6 aluminium alloy

The present investigation has been carried out in order to study the influence of the previous accumulated fatigue damage induced during high cycle fatigue (HCF), on the fracture toughness parameters of an AA6082-T6 aluminium alloy. The results show that previous fatigue damage accumulated in HCF does not affect the tensile static mechanical properties of the material, but gives rise to a significant debit of the toughness properties on this aluminium alloy. The fracture toughness results have shown that the crack opening displacement at a crack extension of 0.2 mm (COD_0.2) decreases in the range of ∼18 to 36% whereas the value of the non-linear fracture mechanics parameter  J _0.2, decreases in the range of ∼11 to 25% at applied maximum stresses of 200 and 275 MPa, respectively. Optical microscopy observations conducted on the surface of the specimens subjected to HCF damage indicate the existence of microcracks ∼15 to 25 μm long nucleated along the grain boundaries of the material. Also, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations of the fracture surfaces after the tearing tests show the predominance of a ductile fracture mechanism for the material prior to residual fatigue damage, whereas a mixed ductile–brittle fracture mechanism and the presence of flat facets were observed on the fracture surfaces of the specimens with a fatigue damage of 0.70.     

热塑性颗粒-无机粒子协同增韧碳纤维增强环氧树脂复合材料

针对碳纤维增强环氧树脂(CF/EP)复合材料层间断裂韧性进行研究,通过在CF/EP复合材料层间添加四种无机纳米粒子和三种热塑性颗粒对其进行II型层间断裂韧性(G_IIC)研究,选择工艺性和增韧性效果好的两种无机纳米粒子和热塑性颗粒进行协同增韧研究。结果表明,CF/EP复合材料的G_IIC在适当的无机纳米粒子含量下都得到提高,这主要是由于无机纳米粒子在层间形成了有效吸收断裂能的微结构,纳米羟基氧化铝(AlOOH)的工艺性及增韧性等综合性能最好,AlOOH质量分数为1wt%时,CF/EP复合材料的G_IIC达到931 J/m2,提高了29.3%;热塑性颗粒中,改性聚芳醚酮颗粒(PAEK)的综合性能最好,添加10wt% PAEK,CF/EP复合材料的G_IIC可以提高32%,这是由于预制在层间的热塑性颗粒随着基体流动而得到扩散,形成了独特的跨层间连续结构,从而使裂纹扩展的阻力增加,有效提高了CF/EP复合材料的G_IIC;10wt%PAEK和1wt%AlOOH共同增韧CF/EP复合材料的G_IIC达到1 368 J/m2,相对于未增韧的CF/EP复合材料提高了90%,增韧效果比PAEK和AlOOH对CF/EP复合材料的增韧效果之和大,这表明,PAEK和AlOOH同时加入CF/EP复合材料层间,对CF/EP复合材料具有协同增韧效应。      

Fatigue crack growth characteristics of rotor steels

Room temperature fatigue crack growth rate data were generated for Ni-Mo-V (ASTM A469, Cl-4), Cr-Mo-V (ASTM A470, Cl-8) and Ni-Cr-Mo-V (ASTM A471, Cl-4 and a 156,000 psi yield strength grade) rotor forging steels. Testing was conducted with WOL type compact toughness specimens and the results presented in terms of fracture mechanics parameters. Data show that the Ni-Cr-Mo-V steels exhibit slower fatigue crack growth rates at a given stress intensity range (ΔK) than do the Ni-Mo-V steels. In addition, the Cr-Mo-V steel was found to exhibit slower growth rates than the other alloys at ΔK levels below 40 ksi √in but somewhat foster rates at ΔK levels in excess of 45 ksi √in. The fatigue crack growth rate properties of the alloys studied conform to the generalized fracture mechanics crack growth rate law where da/dN = C₀ΔK^R. It was noted that the fatigue crack growth rate parameters n and C₀ tend to decrease and increase, respectively, with increasing material toughness, K_ic.     

Fatigue, monotonic and fracture toughness properties of a Cr–Mn–N steel

The low-cycle fatigue, monotonic and fracture toughness behaviour of E3949, a Cr–Mn–N austenitic stainless steel, used for drillcollar connections was studied. Low-cycle fatigue tests were carried out at room temperature under total strain control in the range of 0.40 to 1.50% using Companion Specimens Test (CST) and Incremental Step Test (IST) methods. Cyclic softening without saturation was observed in all tests. Massing cyclic stress–strain behaviour was observed only with the IST method. The fatigue life behaviour obeyed Basquin and Coffin–Manson relationships and the high value obtained for ′_f imparts a significant improvement in fatigue resistance of this alloy compared to AISI 304LN. The J–R curves and J_IC values were obtained at room temperature and at 150°C by using single specimens and the elastic compliance technique for crack length measurement. The observed decrease in crack initiation fracture toughness at 150°C is proposed to be due to a dynamic strain ageing effect, which impairs ductility.     

Fracture mechanism of toughened epoxy resin with bimodal rubber-particle size distribution

A bimodal rubber-particle distributed epoxy resin was made by simultaneous addition of two kinds of liquid rubbers, CTBN1300X9 and CTBN1300X13. These rubbers were added at a constant total rubber content but with varying weight ratios. The microstructure and fracture behaviour of these rubber-modified epoxy resins have been studied. A strong increase in the fracture resistance was found for the bimodal rubber-particle distributed epoxy resin. The role of the small particle is thought to toughen the shear bands between large particles. The role of large particle is thought to induce a large-scale shear deformation in the crack front. The synergistic effect of these particles gives rise to a strong increase in the toughness of these bimodal rubber-particle distributed epoxy systems.     

环氧树脂复合材料的制备及力学性能

通过配方设计,以硅烷偶联剂改性的空心玻璃微珠(HGB)为填料,端羧基液体丁腈橡胶(CTBN)为增稠剂和增韧剂,环氧树脂(EP)为基体,经变温分段固化技术制备环氧树脂/端羧基丁腈橡胶/空心玻璃微珠(EP/CTBN/HGB)三元泡沫复合材料并研究其力学和流变性能。结果表明,CTBN使得复合材料由脆性断裂变为韧性断裂;CTBN劣化了复合材料模量而HGB弥补了复合材料模量;当CTBN、HGB含量分别为12%(质量分数)和30%(体积分数)时,三元复合材料的冲击、弯曲、拉伸强度及弯曲模量均优于纯EP。另外,纯环氧树脂和EP/CTBN共混物的黏度呈现出牛顿流体的流变行为,而三元共混物的黏度表现出明显的剪切变稀现象。     

纳米SiO2-端羧基丁腈橡胶改性水性环氧树脂复合材料的制备及性能

以端羧基丁腈橡胶（CTBN）和纳米SiO₂（nano SiO₂）为增韧剂,先利用相反转法将CTBN与环氧树脂（EP）的共聚物制备成乳液,然后加入nano SiO₂进行共混,最后加入固化剂经梯度升温固化制得nano SiO₂-CTBN改性的水性环氧树脂（nano SiO₂-CTBN/WEP）复合材料。通过FTIR、SEM、TEM、万能拉伸试验仪和TG对nano SiO₂-CTBN/WEP复合材料的性能进行表征。结果表明：当CTBN含量为20%（与EP E-51的质量比）时,所制备的CTBN/WEP具有较好的储存稳定性,在此基础上加入nano SiO₂,当其含量为3%时增韧效果最好,nano SiO₂-CTBN/WEP的拉伸强度达14.5 MPa,断裂伸长率达9.1%,冲击强度为11.3 kJ/m²,弯曲强度达22.4 MPa,较未添加nano SiO₂的CTBN/WEP分别提高了40.1%、27.4%、73.9%和72.7%,其初始热分解温度也提高了近25℃。     

Influence of absorbed moisture on fatigue crack propagation behaviour in polyamides

The fatigue fracture surface morphology of nylon 66, nylon 6 and nylon 612 was examined to ascertain mechanisms of fatigue crack propagation (FCP) in these polymers. Attention was also given to noting any correlation between fracture surface markings and macroscopic fatigue crack-growth rate data. In general, observed changes in fracture surface appearance reflected an increasing level of plastic deformation with increasing water content, particularly in N66 and N6. Classical fatigue striations were identified in specimens of N66 and N6 containing 1.7 to 5.7 wt% water. Other types of fracture lineage of unknown origin were also seen which can confound the interpretation of fatigue fracture topography. Unlike the cases of N6 and N66, the fracture of N612 was dominated by a microvoid coalescence mechanism at all moisture levels and at all K levels examined.     

Comparison of the fatigue propagation behaviour of polystyrene and 95/5 polystyrene/polyethylene blends

The fatigue crack propagation (FCP) behaviour of polystyrene (PS) and 95/5 PS/high density polyethylene (HDPE) was studied at cycling frequencies (f) of 0.2, 2 and 20 Hz. At the latter two frequencies, the fatigue crack growth rates (FCGRs) in the blends were lower than in PS, especially when a styrene/ethylene–butylene/styrene (SEBS) triblock copolymer was added as a compatibilizer. The fractographic features observed were analysed in detail. Discontinuous growth bands (DGBs), associated with the fracture of crazes, formed at low FCGRs in PS and at low and high FCGRs in the blends. Large dimple-like features formed at intermediate FCGRs and fatigue striations at high FCGRs were observed in PS. The observations indicated that the reduction in FCGR when HDPE was added to PS was associated with the presence of stretched HDPE particles which fractured behind the crack front, with increased particle–matrix adhesion favoured by the compatibilizer. An increase in cycling frequency decreased the FCGRs, with the fractographic observations indicating that this effect was associated with a decrease in the time-dependent deformation in the fracture process zone slightly ahead of the crack tip.     

Fatigue crack-propagation in annealed poly(butylene terephthalate)

Samples with the same percentage crystallinity, supermolecular structure and lamellar thickness but different average molecular weight were prepared to distinguish the effect of tie chain density on fatigue crack propagation (FCP) behaviour. This alteration in molecular weight was accomplished by controlled chain degradation during thermal annealing. A significant decrease in FCP resistance was observed when samples were annealed at different temperatures for various amounts of time. In addition, an examination of the fracture surfaces of these specimens indicates a transition to a more brittle-type behaviour when annealed for longer periods of time at any specific annealing temperature. The decrease in FCP resistance is attributed to a decrease in the tie chain density.     

THE EFFECT OF MICROSTRUCTURE AND FRACTURE SURFACE ROUGHNESS ON FATIGUE CRACK PROPAGATION IN A Ti-6A1-4V ALLOY

Characteristics of fatigue crack propagation (FCP) have been studied on materials with three different microstructures of a Ti-6A1-4V alloy, prepared with different heat treatments. The effect of microstructure on the FCP behaviour was attributed to the development of crack tip shielding, primarily resulting from the role of crack path morphology in inducing crack closure and crack deflection. Roughness-induced crack closure played an important role on the near-threshold FCP behaviour at a stress ratio of 0.05, but the FCP data plotted in terms of the effective stress intensity factor range, δK_eff (allowing for crack closure), still exhibited the effect of microstructure. Fractographic examinations were performed, using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with the aid of image processing, which enabled a three-dimensional reconstruction of the fracture surface using a stereo pair of SEM micrographs. Fracture surface roughness was evaluated quantitatively by the ratio of the real area of the reconstructed fracture surface to its projected area. As fracture surface roughness was taken into account in evaluating the FCP data in addition to crack closure, the effect of microstructure disappeared, indicating that the intrinsic FCP resistance was the same in all the materials. Thus, it was concluded that fracture surface roughness was a dominating parameter in controlling the FCP of the Ti-6A1-4V alloy.