Abstract
The fibre geometry resulting from the addition of through-thickness fibres in the form of stitching generates considerable improvement in the mode I delamination toughness of laminated carbon fibre composites. However, interlaminar shear, caused either by direct loading or from eccentricities in the structural load path resulting in out-of-plane loading, is a critical loading condition in many composite structures. This paper investigates the effect of stitching on the mode II delamination toughness. The mode II delamination toughness of a carbon/epoxy composite, both unstitched and stitched, was experimentally determined using an end-notched flexure (ENF) specimen. Specimens with varying stitch density, thread diameter and thread type were studied. The steady-state toughness, GIIRs, of unstitched and stitched specimens were compared. The addition of stitching was found to create an improvement in toughness of up to 4 times. In addition, experimental results were compared with theoretical predictions from a micromechanics-based model developed previously. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 829-837 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Composites Science and Technology |
| Volume | 58 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1998 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- C. delamination
- Composite laminates
- Crack growth resistance
- End-notched-flexure geometry
- Mode II interlaminar toughness
- R-curve
- Stitching
- Through-thickness reinforcement
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ceramics and Composites
- General Engineering