The Gap test – Effects of crack parallel compression on fracture in carbon fiber composites

• Published in: Composites. Part A, Applied science and manufacturing Vol. 164; p. 107252
• Main Authors: Brockmann, Jeremy, Salviato, Marco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2023
• Subjects: A. Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs); B. Fracture toughness; C. Finite Element Analysis (FEA); carbon fibers; energy; The Gap Test; A. Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs); The Gap Test; B. Fracture toughness; C. Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

This paper explores the global Mode I fracture energy of a carbon fiber composite subject to a biaxial stress state at the crack tip, specifically in which one stress component is compressive and parallel to the crack. Based on an experimental technique previously coined as The Gap Test and Bažant’s...