Rate Effects on Delamination Fracture Toughness of Graphite/Epoxy Composites

摘要: The effects of loading rate on interlaminar fracture toughness were investigated for two graphite/epoxy materials, one with a brittle matrix and the other toughened one. Mode I delamination was studied by means uniform-width, width-tapered, height-tapered double cantilever beam specimens. specimens loaded at various cross head rates corresponding to crack extension up 26 m/s. It found that brittle-matrix composite energy release increases certain velocity thereafter it decreases. In case toughened-matrix decreases monotonically increasing velocity.