Three-Dimensional Analysis of Damage Propagation in Unidirectional Polymer Composites using X-ray Computed Tomography and Digital Volume Correlation

摘要

X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) provides valuable insights into the structures within materials. When combined with digital volume correlation (DVC), the response to applied load can be measured in the form of the three-dimensional displacement and strain fields within materials. This study has applied X-ray μCT and DVC to investigate the propagation of damage in a unidirectional IM7/5250-4 composite under compression loading. Volumetric images were acquired from the composite specimen before and after loading using X-ray μCT. The images were analyzed using DVC to measure displacement field, map crack formation, growth and subsequent displacement of deformed specimen. Initial results demonstrate that volumetric displacement of the composite material using the naturally occurring pattern can be obtained successfully using DVC, making it a useful tool for quantitatively investigating the damage behavior of composite specimens. Several compression steps will be applied to the composite specimens under displacement control. Other selected polymer matrix composites will also be investigated.