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An investigation of tensile damage behavior of X5230/T800 polymer matrix composites through in-situ tensile testing in SEM

Conference ·
OSTI ID:89788
; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. City College, New York, NY (United States)
  2. Alliant Techsystems, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (United States)
Dog bone tensile specimens made of 8-ply X5230/T800 polymer matrix composites with [0{degree}/+45{degree}/0{degree}/{minus}45{degree}]{sub s}, arrangement and 57% fiber volume fraction have been subjected to tensile loading either along or perpendicular to the 0{degree} fiber direction at various temperatures. The tests were conducted inside an enlarged specimen chamber of a Hitachi S-2400 scanning electron microscope (SEM). During the test, the upper surface of the specimen in the gage section area was closely monitored through the screen of the SEM and the images revealing the intermediate tensile damage events on the surface and the edge of the specimen were captured in-situ either by using a Polaroid camera or a thermal print processor. When loading was applied parallel to the 0{degree} fiber direction at room temperature, damage started in the 0{degree} ply in the form of fiber breaking, followed by multiple fiber braiding in the 0{degree} ply, delamination between O{degree} and {+-}45{degree} plies, matrix cracking along the fiber direction in the {+-}45{degree} plies and the eventual failure of the specimen. No matrix cracks in the 0{degree} ply were observed for tests in room temperature. However, when tested at 1OO C, interface cracks were found in the 0{degree} ply and the failure load decreases substantially. When the loading was applied perpendicular to the 0{degree} fiber direction, no damage was observed in the 0{degree} ply until failure. A finite element model which incorporates the observed damage progression and based on the microstructure of the composite was also developed.
OSTI ID:
89788
Report Number(s):
CONF-9409291--; ISBN 1-56676-220-0
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English