Damage Mechanisms in Notched Graphite/ Epoxy Laminates

摘要

It is well known that the behavior of composite material structures subjected to static and fatigueloads is strongly influenced by the cumulative effect of subcritical damage. In this work the initiationand accumulation of damage was studied in two classes of notched cross-ply graphite/epoxylaminates with the aim of obtaining physical parameters to be exploited in prediction models.Experiments were conducted under static and fatigue loads to identify the major damage modes andto examine their influence on residual tensile strength. A finite element analysis incorporating theprincipal failure modes (delaminations, axial splitting and transverse matrix cracks) was alsoperformed to study the effect of matrix damage on the stress distribution at the hole.