SEDL / STP / STP675-EB / STP35914S

Fatigue Damage Mechanisms in Composite Materials: A Review

Stinchcomb, WW
Associate professor and professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.

Reifsnider, KL
Associate professor and professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.

Pages: 26    Published: Jan 1979

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Abstract

Some of the earliest investigations concluded that the basic mechanisms of fatigue in composites and fatigue in homogeneous materials differ greatly. Instead of the initiation and propagation of a fatigue crack traditionally identified with homogeneous materials, fatigue in composites consists of various combinations of matrix, fiber, and interfacial cracks and debonds to form a very complex damage state. Furthermore, fatigue mechanisms are dependent upon a number of parameters, including the material system, stacking sequence of plies, geometry, stress state, and environment.

The variety of damage modes, the complexity of their interactions, and the subsequent effect on engineering properties make it difficult to interpret fatigue damage in order to define and predict fatigue failure or lifetime for composite materials. A brief synopsis of the current knowledge of fatigue damage mechanism in fiber-reinforced composite materials is presented along with some suggestions to help advance the level of understanding of the fatigue response of composite materials.