Fracture Testing for Fibre-Reinforced Composites

Fracture Testing for Fibre-Reinforced Composites demonstrates how to implement the most effective experimental methodologies for measuring interlaminar and intralaminar damage propagation in order to characterize the corresponding fracture toughness parameters. It presents a concise overview of the existing background theories of composites, including a full chapter on the fundamentals of fracture mechanics, followed by in-depth, step-by-step practical guidance for executing a variety of fracture toughness experimental tests. Also included are optical and thermal data acquisition techniques, as well as relevant data reduction and uncertainty quantification methods to facilitate rapid and objective measurement of the material parameters when obtained for both quasi-static and dynamic loading regimes. Provides an in-depth background on composite fracture toughness testing, including the theories behind both standardized and non-standardized methods Outlines fully-detailed methodologies for characterizing interlaminar and intralaminar fracture of fibre-reinforced composites, for both quasi-static and dynamic loading regimes Details the latest state-of-the-art optical and thermal data acquisition and analytical and numerical modeling techniques related to fracture toughness testing