Initial R-curves for translaminar fracture of quasi-isotropic carbon/epoxy laminates from specimens with increasing size

Xu, Xiaodong; Sun, Xiaoyang; Wisnom, Michael

Abstract

In this paper, a set of initial R-curves were measured for three different in-plane sizes using scaled Over-height Compact Tension (OCT) specimens and two different stacking sequences. The data reduction scheme was based on a Virtual Crack Closure Technique which is informed by the measured failure load and effective crack length. The R-curve effects were studied by using X-ray Computed Tomography to measure the crack length throughout fracture propagation. It was found that the initial R-curves measured from all three specimen sizes follow the same linearly increasing trend, with similar results for both stacking sequences. However, no plateau was seen on any of the measured R-curves, implying that even the largest specimens are not large enough to generate a full R-curve.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 29, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Oct 5, 2021
• Publication Date: Nov 10, 2021
• Deposit Date: Sep 29, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 6, 2022
• Journal: Composites Science and Technology
• Print ISSN: 0266-3538
• Electronic ISSN: 1879-1050
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 216
• Article Number: 109077
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2021.109077
• Keywords: Fracture; Fracture toughness; X-ray computed tomography; R-curve
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/7860507