TY - GEN
T1 - Modelling and quantifying mode I interlaminar fracture in particle-toughened CFRP materials
AU - Borstnar, G.
AU - Mavrogordato, M. N.
AU - Yang, Q. D.
AU - Sinclair, I.
AU - Spearing, S. M.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors acknowledge contributions from institutions and staff: Cytec Solvay Group for their sponsorship and materials supply, and the support from Dr. Kingsley Ho as the technical point of contact. The ?-VIS centre at the University of Southampton for provision of tomographic imaging facilities, supported by EPSRC grant EP-H01506X, and the support from Dr. Richard Boardman and Dr. Neil O'Brien. The support from researchers Derek Schesser and Bao-Chan Do from the Univeristy of Miami. Additionally, the authors acknowledge support from Dr. Peter Modregger at the Swiss Light Source and funding from the Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no.312284 (for CALIPSO).
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Four-dimensional time-resolved Synchrotron Radiation Computed Tomography (SRCT) has been used to capture Mode I delamination propagation in particle-toughened Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs). Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) was used in order to measure ply opening displacements at the crack tip, permitting the interlayer strain ahead of the crack tip to be quantified. Estimates at which toughening particles de-bonded and/or fractured were made, giving insight into the effects of particle type and particle size on the fracture mico-mechanisms. The experiments are complemented by a 2D plane-strain finite element (FE) model, which investigated the effects of particle strength and toughness on the ply opening displacement and crack path by modelling the particles as 1D cohesive segments. Previous work has shown that Mode I crack propagation in particle-toughened interlayers involves a process zone rather than a distinct crack tip. Therefore, Augmented Finite Element Method (A-FEM) elements were used in the simulation, since the elements can account for both bifurcating and merging cracks within a single element. The nodal displacements in the simulation were compared to the DVC results, illustrating a potential path through which more complex FE simulations may be validated against experimental results in the future.
AB - Four-dimensional time-resolved Synchrotron Radiation Computed Tomography (SRCT) has been used to capture Mode I delamination propagation in particle-toughened Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs). Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) was used in order to measure ply opening displacements at the crack tip, permitting the interlayer strain ahead of the crack tip to be quantified. Estimates at which toughening particles de-bonded and/or fractured were made, giving insight into the effects of particle type and particle size on the fracture mico-mechanisms. The experiments are complemented by a 2D plane-strain finite element (FE) model, which investigated the effects of particle strength and toughness on the ply opening displacement and crack path by modelling the particles as 1D cohesive segments. Previous work has shown that Mode I crack propagation in particle-toughened interlayers involves a process zone rather than a distinct crack tip. Therefore, Augmented Finite Element Method (A-FEM) elements were used in the simulation, since the elements can account for both bifurcating and merging cracks within a single element. The nodal displacements in the simulation were compared to the DVC results, illustrating a potential path through which more complex FE simulations may be validated against experimental results in the future.
KW - Augmented finite element method
KW - Delamination
KW - Digital volume correlation
KW - Polymer matrix composites
KW - Synchrotron radiation computed tomography
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M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85018611802
T3 - ECCM 2016 - Proceeding of the 17th European Conference on Composite Materials
BT - ECCM 2016 - Proceeding of the 17th European Conference on Composite Materials
PB - European Conference on Composite Materials, ECCM
T2 - 17th European Conference on Composite Materials, ECCM 2016
Y2 - 26 June 2016 through 30 June 2016
ER -