Investigation of the Interlaminar Shear Properties of Fiber Reinforced Polymers via Flexural Testing using Digital Image Correlation

Published

December 2, 2019

Author(s)

Matthias J. Merzkirch, Timothy J. Foecke

Abstract

Determination of the interlaminar properties of laminate composites to date have included a few direct measurement techniques: the standardized short beam test via three-point flexural testing and the double beam shear test via five-point flexural testing. These test methods are limited to a determination of the apparent interlaminar strength, while the full stress-strain behavior cannot be determined. The double beam shear test allows for a calculation of the shear modulus, provided that four additional elastic, in-plane properties have been determined in advance via three additional types of tests. The present work includes a comparison of the three-point short beam test, the non-standardized four-point flexural test and the double beam shear test (requiring small span-length to thickness ratios for the shear loading to become dominant). The tests are carried out on unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced composite (CFRP-UD) with a symmetric layup. The experiments are accompanied by photomechanical investigations using digital image correlation (DIC) to visualize the phenomenology of shear deformation. The novelty of this approach includes the use of the DIC determined shear strains, which show a parabolic distribution across the specimen’s thickness. The DIC calculated maximum shear strain across the thickness is used within the elastic loading range to evaluate the shear modulus. Interlaminar shear strengths and shear moduli determined from all three types of tests will be compared to the intralaminar shear properties.

Citation

Materials Performance and Characterization

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

FRP, DIC, unidirectional reinforcement, UD, carbon fiber, CFRP, shear modulus, shear strength, intralaminar

Citation

Merzkirch, M. and Foecke, T. (2019), Investigation of the Interlaminar Shear Properties of Fiber Reinforced Polymers via Flexural Testing using Digital Image Correlation, Materials Performance and Characterization (Accessed April 25, 2024)