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AE analysis of delamination crack propagation in carbon fiber-reinforced polymer materials

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Abstract

Delamination fracture behavior was investigated using acoustic emission (AE) analysis on carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) samples manufactured using vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM). CFRP plate was fabricated using unidirectional carbon fiber fabric with a lay-up of six plies [+30/−30]6, and a Teflon film was inserted as a starter crack. Test pieces were sectioned from the inlet and vent of the mold, and packed between two rectangular epoxy plates to load using a universal testing machine. The AE signals were monitored during tensile loading using two sensors. The average tensile load of the inlet specimens was slightly larger than that of the vent specimens; however, the data exhibited significant scattering due to non-uniform resin distribution, and there was no statistically significant different between the strength of the samples sectioned from the inlet or outlet of the mold. Each of the specimens exhibited similar AE characteristics, regardless of whether they were from the inlet or vent of the mold. Four kinds of damage mechanism were observed: micro-cracking, fiber-resin matrix debonding, fiber pull-out, and fiber failure; and three stages of the crack propagation process were identified.

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Correspondence to Kazuo Arakawa.

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This paper was presented at the FEOFS 2013, Jeju, Korea, June 9–13, 2013. Recommended by Guest Editor Jung-Il Song

Sang-Jae Yoon is a research fellow of the Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, Japan. He received his Dr. Eng. degree from Kyushu University in 2014. His research interests include advanced composite materials, acoustic emission analysis and fracture behavior of engineering materials.

Kazuo Arakawa Kazuo Arakawa is a professor of the Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, Japan. He received his Dr. Eng. degree from Osaka University in 1982. He stayed at University of Washington as a visiting researcher from 1988–1989. He has published over 200 papers in Japanese and International Journals on solid mechanics including fracture mechanics on polymers and composite materials, dental biomaterials, and impact phenomena of golf balls. He has received many academic awards including the Technology Award, the Best Paper Award from the Japanese Society of Experimental Mechanics and so on.

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Yoon, SJ., Chen, D., Han, SW. et al. AE analysis of delamination crack propagation in carbon fiber-reinforced polymer materials. J Mech Sci Technol 29, 17–21 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-014-1203-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-014-1203-2

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