Characterization and Modeling of the Effect of Environmental Degradation on Interlaminar Shear Strength of Carbon/Epoxy Composites

• DOI: 10.1177/096739110801600301
• Publication Date: 2018-09-12T10:43:45Z
• Authors: Srikanth Goruganthu; Jason Elwell; Arun Ramasetty; Abilash R. Nair; Samit Roy; Anwarul Haque; Piyush K. Dutta; Ashok Kumar
• Keywords: 0203 mechanical engineering; 02 engineering and technology

Accelerated ageing experiments have been conducted to address durability issues of carbon/epoxy composites be used for emerging facilities and infrastructure, such as, bridges buildings, in different climatic zones. The degradation under UV, hygrothermal exposure, applied tensile stress has investigated. tests were designed capture the synergistic effects field exposure extreme temperatures, viz., hot/dry, hot/wet, cold/dry, cold/wet conditions. Short beam shear (SBST) performed determination interlaminar strength (ILSS) conditioned composite specimens. hot/dry samples showed increased strength, while hot/wet ones a decrease strength. It is conjectured that conditioning at 90 °C possibly contributed an increase ILSS from post curing. For (90 °C, immersed water) results indicate due moisture-induced hydrolysis overshadowed post-curing effect. subjected hot conditions °C) higher ILSS, improved crosslink density arising post-cure. There insignificant variation UV treated untreated control samples. All SBST test data reported this work are room temperature ambient humidity after environmental ageing. A two-dimensional cohesive layer constitutive model with prescribed traction-separation law constructed basic principles continuum mechanics, taking into account mechanisms likely occur within bi-material interface, as between adjacent plies laminate, was simulate failure specimens, using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). phenomenological predictive developed finite element results.