Experimental investigation of mode I interlaminar fracture toughness in T300/914 composite

Abstract

An aerospace structural material T300/914 has been studied to understand the Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness. For experimental analysis a Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) test is conducted on the laminate to estimate the Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness of the sample. A 48-layer laminate was prepared by hand layup process and an insert included at the mid plane to produce the artificial initial crack required for the test. All the tests are conducted in accordance to the ASTM standards. Pulse-Echo test results and C-Scan images of the laminate were analyzed to find the defects in the laminate. The data from DCB test were analyzed by Modified Beam theory, Compliance calibration method and modified compliance calibration methods to find the interlaminar fracture toughness. A crack length correction method is implemented for data reduction. Numerical analysis of the data derives results in accordance with the experimental analysis. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.