ISSN: 0884-6804
Page Count: 6

Residual Strength and Residual Fracture Toughness of Random Short-Fiber Composites during Cyclic Fatigue
ES-M, Chim
associate research engineer, Shell Development Company, TX

SS, Wang
distinguished university professor, University of Houston, TX

Abstract

The present study is part of a series of research work on microscopic damage evolution and associated macroscopic property degradation of random short-fiber composites under cyclic fatigue loading. In this paper, the effects of fatigue damage on the tensile failure strength and the opening mode fracture toughness of an SMC-R50 composite were investigated. Test specimens, which had been conditioned to various preselected fatigue damage stages, were measured for their residual properties. The results indicated that both the failure strength and fracture toughness were degraded during the cyclic fatigue loading. The reduction in strength was appreciable, but was less than that observed in the matrix-controlled elastic properties. The reduction of the residual fracture toughness, as a result of the local high-stress field, was affected even less appreciably.

Keywords:
cyclic fatigue, residual tensile strength, residual fracture toughness, fatigue damage, random short-fiber composites, sheet-molding compounds

Paper ID: CTR10203J
DOI: 10.1520/CTR10203J
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