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Effects of notch length, specimen thickness, ply thickness and type of defect on the fracture behaviour of angle-ply graphite-epoxy composites

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Abstract

An experimental study was carried out on the effects of notch length, specimen thickness, ply thickness and type of defect (centre-notch or hole) on the fracture toughness of graphite-epoxy composites with lay-up sequences of 0/±45°/0 and 0/90°. Three fracture-mechanical concepts were applied: the Waddoups-Eisenmann-Kaminski (WEK) model, the Whitney-Nuismer model (point and average stress cirteria) and the K R-curve method. An increase of notch length as well as an increase of ply thickness led to a higher toughness, whereas a change in specimen thickness did not noticeably affect the toughness. Furthermore, the hole caused a smaller strength reduction than a notch. The applicability of the above-mentioned concepts is probably restricted mainly because of the fact that they do not, or do only insufficiently, regard the damage zone near the border of the defect, if a large damage zone usually leads to larger material parameters of the investigated concepts, namely the inherent flaw size, the characteristic lengths of the point and average stress criterions and the K R -value at fracture.

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Author notes

  1. S. Ochiai

    Present address: Department of Metallurgy, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, 606, Kyoto, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut Für Werkstoff-Forschung, DFVLR, Postfach 90 60 58, 5000, Köln 90, West Germany

    S. Ochiai & P. W. M. Peters

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  1. S. Ochiai
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  2. P. W. M. Peters
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Ochiai, S., Peters, P.W.M. Effects of notch length, specimen thickness, ply thickness and type of defect on the fracture behaviour of angle-ply graphite-epoxy composites. J Mater Sci 17, 2324–2336 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00543741

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00543741

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