Mode I, Mode II, and Mixed Mode Interlaminar Fracture of Woven Fabric Carbon/Epoxy

Abstract

Interlaminar fracture behavior of a five-harness satin orthogonal woven fabric carbon/epoxy composite laminate loaded in Mode I, Mode II, and mixed mode has been investigated. Fracture testing employed the DCB, ENF, and MMB specimens. Special emphasis was put on microscopic details of crack growth and their relation to fracture resistance. For all fracture mode combinations it was found that crack growth occurred in a nonplanar region of topology determined by the weave pattern and relative positioning of the plies adjacent to the crack plane. The woven fabric structure constrains fiber bridging, but partial debonding of transversely oriented fiber bundles led to occasional crack branching, stick-slip behavior leading to variations in the Mode I fracture resistance. Slow stable crack growth occurred in the ENF and MMB specimens prior to unstable fracture and resulted in nonlinear load-displacement response. A linear relation between the critical values of GI and GII was observed.