The crush behavior of fiber composite rods with a toughened matrix

Conference · Wed Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:577588

Peterson, R C; Garard, R J; Lokhandwala, K K; Roberston, R E ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

The crush behavior (specific energy absorption and crush load stability) of unidirectional fiber composite rods having tougher matrices than vinyl ester were investigated and compared with the crush behavior of similar specimens having a vinyl ester matrix. The matrices were a cyclic polyester and two rubber-toughened vinyl esters. The specific energy absorption with the cyclic polyester matrix, 180 MJ/m{sup 3}, was slightly lower than that with the vinyl ester matrix, 230 MJ/m{sup 3}. On the other hand, the crush stability was markedly better. The average deviation of the crush load about the mean was as small as 3.5% with the cyclic polyester matrix, in contrast to about 12% with the vinyl ester matrix. The higher ductility of the cyclic polyester and the good fiber-matrix bond strength together resulted in less fracturing of the matrix and more uniform kink-band formation across the composite cross section than occurred with the vinyl ester matrix. There was also a reduction in the tendency for fibers at the periphery of the rod to splay outward rather than being crushed. Of the two rubber-toughened vinyl ester matrices, a 30% reduction was found in the average deviation of the crush load about the mean with the matrix toughened with a core-shell material, although no improvement was found with the CTBN rubber-modified vinyl ester resin.

• OSTI ID: 577588
• Report Number(s): CONF-970431--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
DUCTILITY
ENERGY ABSORPTION
ESTERS
FIBERS
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
POLYESTERS
RODS
RUBBERS
STABILITY