Open Access

ABSTRACT

Research on in situ observation of fracture process of fiber/epoxy composites

Luobin Wang, Feng Xu^*, Xiaofang Hu, Hongyan Qu, Hong Miao, Zhong Zhang

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences 2011, 18(2), 55-56. https://doi.org/10.3970/icces.2011.018.055

Abstract

Recent studies have indicated that mechanical performance of the short fiber-reinforced polymers composites not only depends on matrix type, fiber type, fiber weight fraction, fiber orientation, fiber dispersion etc. but fiber-matrix interface and matrix morphology are also of paramount importance. Many scholars have studied on effects of matrix and interface modification on the mechanical behavior of short carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite. However, there is little work focused on the in situ observation of fracture process of fiber/epoxy composites. And it is difficult to know about crack and crack propagation in the sample without direct observations of fiber-matrix interface when the samples are applied extraneous force. Synchrotron radiation computerized topography (SR-CT) is an advanced technique which allows for direct three-dimensional observations of damage in samples. So it is logical to apply SR-CT to the experimental observation of fiber-matrix interface in samples.

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