Crack propagation in a glass particle-filled epoxy resin

Crack propagation in an epoxy resin reinforced with spherical glass particles has been followed using a double-torsion test. In particular the effect of strain rate, volume fraction and particle size upon the stability of propagation, the Young's modulus, the critical stress intensity factor,K _Ic and the fracture energy,G _Ic has been studied. It has been shown that the crack propagation behaviour can be explained principally in terms of crack pinning, although it has been found that propagation is also affected by blunting the breakdown of the particle—matrix interface. It has been demonstrated that crack-front pinning is consistent with a critical crack opening displacement criterion.     

Crack bridging and fibre pull-out in polyethylene fibre reinforced epoxy resins

An investigation has been undertaken of the stress distributions in high-performance polyethylene fibres bridging cracks in model epoxy composites. The axial fibre stress has been determined from stress-induced Raman band shifts and the effect of fibre surface treatment has been followed using untreated and plasma-treated polyethylene fibres. It is found that when the specimen is cracked, the fibres do not break and stress is transmitted from the matrix to the fibre across the fibre/matrix interface. A debond propagates along the fibre/matrix interface accompanied by friction along the debonded interface. The axial stress distributions in the fibres can be analysed using a partial-debonding model based upon shear-lag theory and it is found that the maximum interfacial shear stress at the bond/debond transition is a function of the debond length. The debonding process has been modelled successfully in terms of the interfacial fracture energy-based criterion developed by Hsueh for the propagation of a debond along a fibre/matrix interface accompanied by constant friction along the interface.     

Matrix fractography of fibre-reinforced epoxy composites

This paper describes the origin and development of fractographic features found in the matrix of carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy composites and their significance in the analysis of the failure of structures fabricated from composite material.     

Enhancement of crack propagation resistance in epoxy resins by introducing poly(dimethylsiloxane) particles

The physical and mechanical properties of polyepoxy DGEBA /DDA/Diuron networks toughened with Poly(dimethylsiloxane) particles have been studied. Blends have been realized with two kinds of dispersion tools: a high-speed stirrer and a twin-screw extruder. The dispersion state quality is discussed using transmission spectroscopy image analysis. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) suspension in an epoxy prepolymer was used as a toughening agent. Different particle quantities were introduced: 4, 8, 15% by weight. Static mechanical tests were performed in tension and compression on these poly(dimethylsiloxane) modified materials. A slight decrease of Young's modulus and an increase in plastic deformation capacity were noticed as the volume fraction of the modifier increased. Using linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), an improvement in the fracture properties (K_IC, G_IC) was shown. Fatigue crack growth propagation studied for the blends demonstrated that the Paris law can be used to describe the behavior of the materials. Increasing the volume fraction of the modifier leads to an improvement of fatigue crack propagation resistance. Finally a decrease in the wear rate and the friction coefficient with the increase of particle quantities has been shown (in a pin on disk configuration). Toughening mechanisms are discussed with SEM fracture surfaces. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Fracture in epoxy matrix resins

The occurrence of fracture-energy-enhancing steps and welts on fracture surfaces of crosslinked matrix resins has been studied in an epoxy obtained from a trifunctional epoxy resin cured with an anhydride. It is suggested that the steps and welts arise from an underlying basic longitudinal texture, which was revealed by strongly tilting fracture specimens toward the collector in a scanning electron microscope. A model for the development of the basic longitudinal texture is proposed involving a meniscus instability of the propagating crack front, which gives rise to a series of fingers protruding into the bulk resin ahead of the nominal crack front. The periodicity of the basic longitudinal texture seen in the epoxy specimens studied was roughly 350 nm, which was independent of the epoxy resin: hardener ratio within at least 10% of stoichiometry. Because the periodicity of the basic longitudinal texture is roughly equal to the separation of the fracture surfaces immediately behind the crack, a considerable blunting of the crack by plastic deformation or yielding is suggested, a property that should depend on the matrix resin.     

Electron fractography and fatigue crack propagation in 7075-T6 aluminum sheet

A centrally slotted thick sheet of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy was cyclically loaded. Striation spacings and crack propagation rates on the specimen surface were measured and compared and the fractographs were examined. The average striation spacing is found proportional to K ^1.8; while the surface crack propagation rate is proportional to K^{2 8}, where K is stress intensity factor range. Cleavage fractures of brittle particles appear to cause a difference between the overall surface crack propagation rate and striation spacings.In the lower K region, there are fewer cleavage fractures, the striations are more distinct and the directions of the striations do not deviate much from the normal to the direction of the overall crack propagation. In the higher K region, there are more cleavage fractures. In this region striations run in divergent directions and become less evident. The differences in fracture surface features result from the cleavage fracture of brittle particles.

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Zusammenfassung Ein zentral geschlitztes Blech aus Aluminium-legierung wurde zyklischen Beanspruchungen unterworfen.Die Abstände zwischen den Verformungslinien sowie die Rißfortpflanzungsgeschwindigkeit an der Proben-oberfläche wurden gemessen und miteinander verglichen; die Mikrofiaktogramme wurden untersucht.Es ergab sick daß der mittlere Abstand zwischen zwei Verformungslinien K ^1.8 proportional ist, während die an der Oberfläche gemessene Rißfortpflanzungsgeschwindigkeit K ^2.8 proportional ist, wobei K der Schwankungsbereich den Span nungsintensitätsfaktors darstellt.Dieses unterschiedliche Verhalten wird durch das Auftreten von Spaltbruchen in den spröden Materialteilen erklärt. Im Bereich kleiner K-Werte gibt es nur wenig Spaltbrüche; die Verformungslinien sind gut ausgebildet and ihre Richtung weicht nur geringfügig von der Normalen zur allgemeinen RiBfortpflanzungsrichtung ab.Im Bereich hoher K-Werte sind die Spaltbrüche zahlreicher und die Verformungslinien entwickeln sich nach verschiedenen Richtungen ; sie Bind auch weniger ausgeprägt. Die Unterschiede in der Ausbildung der Bruchoberfläche stammen von den Spaltbruchen spröder Teilchen her.

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Résumé Une tôle de d'alliage d'aluminium comportant une entaille en son centre a été soumisse à sollicitations cyclicques.On a mesuré et comparé les espacements entre les stries, et les vitesses de propagation de la fissure en surface. Des microfractographies ont également été effectuées. On a trouvé que la distance moyenne séparant deux stries était proportionnelle à K ^1.8, tandis que la vitesse de propagation de la fissure, mesureé en surface, était proportionnelle à K ^2.8, K désignant l'intervalle de variation du facteur d'intensité des contraintes.Des ruptures par clivage de portions fragiles apparaissent être la cause des differences rencontrées.Dans la zone des faibles valeurs de K, il n'y a que peu de ruptures par clivage, les stries sont plus distinctes, et leur orientation ne dévie pas beaucoup de la normale à la direction générale de la propagation de la fissure.Dans la zone des valeurs élevées de K, les ruptures par clivage sent plus nombreuses; les stries se développent selon des orientations divergentes; elles deviennent moins visibles.Les différences qui caractérisent les aspects des ruptures precedent de la rupture par clivage de portions fragiles.

     

Failure prediction in toughened epoxy resins

In order to improve the damage tolerance of composites and the performance of adhesives, one of the methods being considered is toughened or modified epoxy resins. The modifiers which are commonly used are CTBN rubber and inorganic fillers. A major toughening mechanism causing the increased toughness is the shear deformation process occurring near the crack tip. The effect of such a deformation process is to blunt the crack tip and increase the size of the plastic zone. Several models are available to predict the toughness on the basis of plastic zone size, crack tip opening displacement or crack tip radius, but these are only applicable to Mode I crack extension. Also, most of these approaches use only one stress component which is normal to the crack plane to predict the fracture toughness. The present paper reviews the existing models and suggests a criterion based on the phenomenological approach to failure in order to study the yielding and fracture toughness behavior of both unmodified and modified epoxies. The proposed yield and fracture criteria give predictions in good agreement with experimental results.     

Fractography of unfilled and particulate-filled epoxy resins

The objective of this work was to analyse and understand the types of fracture surface morphology found in unfilled and particulate-filled epoxy resins in the light of the thermomechanical history of the specimen (loading rate or duration of loading, temperature, strain at break). Short-term tensile tests and long-term creep tests were conducted at four different temperatures. The fracture surface features were analysed using the scanning electron and optical microscopes and, where suitable, an image analyser. In order to correlate these morphologies with certain regimes of crack velocity, fracture mechanics tests were also conducted, varying the crack speed between 10^–7 and 10² m sec^–1. In the case of the filled resin, the lifetime under static loading is governed by a phase of slow, sub-critical crack growth which is manifested by resin-particle debonding. Thereafter, the crack accelerates and finally may reach terminal velocities depending on the amount of stored elastic energy available at the moment of fracture.     

Adhesion of epoxy resins to metals

The adhesion of an epoxy resin above its glass transition temperature to aluminium, steel and gold surfaces has been studied using the methods of fracture mechanics. The results are compared with those of a previous study of elastomeric adhesives by Andrews and Kinloch, and the “intrinsic failure energies”,θ ₀, for the epoxy-metal bonds are deduced by similar methods. Correspondence, within a factor of two, is found betweenθ ₀ and the thermodynamic work of adhesion,W _A, for most cases of interfacial failure, indicating both the absence of specific or chemical interactions at the interface and a purging of surface contaminants by the epoxy. An exception occurs when an excess of epoxy groups exist in the uncured resin. Here, for steel and aluminium but not for gold, the interfacial bonding is stronger than the cohesive strength of the resin due probably to the formation of strong bonds with the metal oxide surface layer.     

The mechanical properties of epoxy resins

Crack propagation in a series of epoxy resins described in Part 1 has been studied as a function of testing rate and temperature. It has been found that crack propagation is continuous at low temperatures but that as the temperature is raised the mode of propagation becomes unstable (stick/slip). Features on the fracture surfaces at the crack arrest lines have been shown to be of the same dimensions as those expected for a Dugdale plastic zone. It has been suggested that the slip process takes place by slow growth of a crack through the plastic zone followed by rapid propagation through virgin material. It has been shown that the stick/slip behaviour is due to blunting of the crack which is controlled by the yield behaviour of the resin. A unique fracture criterion has been shown to be applicable to epoxy resins which is that a critical stress of the order of three times the yield stress must be achieved at a critical distance ahead of the crack. Electron microscope replicas of the fracture surfaces have been obtained and an underlying nodular structure can be resolved. However, no direct correlation between the nodule size and fracture properties has been found.     

Crack propagation in polymeric composites

The velocities of rapidly moving cracks in polymethylmethacrylate, an epoxy resin, a rubber modified epoxy resin, coupled and decoupled glass bead filled epoxies and randomly oriented glass fiber reinforced epoxies were measured with a crack propagation gage that was electrolissecally plated on the surfaces of the materials.

When fracture was initiated from a natural crack it was found that the velocity conformed to Mott's equation , while fracture initiated from a blunted notch resulted in a velocity that conformed to Dulany and Brace's equation . A general energy balance was used to show how one could develop these two equations as bounds to the velocity of catastrophic crack propagation.

The terminal crack velocity in the unfilled materials and the glass bead filled materials was , where E/ρ was the modulus to density ratio of the matrix phase at the macroscopic strain rate of the fracture test. The proportionality constant of 0.28 was independent of matrix type, temperature and degree of adhesion. Cracks in the rubber reinforced epoxies always tended to become blunt, resulting in breaking loads that were higher than that expected for materials possessing a natural crack. In addition, the average terminal velocity was less than 0.28√E/ρ, indicating the retardation effects of the rubber particles. These facts were used to explain the higher fracture toughness of these composites.

Fracture surface roughness was primarily a function of crack extension and breaking stress and was less sensitive to crack velocity. An empirical modification of the Mott energy balance was used to qualitatively explain this behavior.     

Crack propagation in gaseous atmospheres

Environmentally-assisted cracking is studied for an Al-Zn-Mg alloy in different gaseous atmospheres. A sophisticated experimental installation with an ultra-high-vacuum chamber (10^-5) is used to maintain and monitor a high-purity atmosphere surrounding the specimen. The experimental data show that water vapor is the main factor responsible for the enhancement of the crack growth rates as compared with those in the high vacuum. Embrittlement is attributed to the influence of hydrogen produced as a result of the surface reaction of water vapor with the fresh metal surface near the crack tip. Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, Escuela de Ingenieros de Caminos; Universidad Politecnica de Madrid. Madrid, Spain. Published in Fizyko-Khimichna Mekhanika Materialiv, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 65–70, July–August, 1998.     

Crack propagation in two-belt beams

Conclusions The FEM was used to construct a detailed model of contact interaction of a fastening element and the web of a two-belt beam. The super element approach was used as a base for evaluating the SIF in separation and SIF in transverse shearing for cracks in the zone of the fastening hole of the longitudinal joint and in the belt. The results show that inclined cracks (type A) are situated in the normal opening conditions, whereas the vertical (type C) and horizontal (type D) cracks are in the conditions with mainly transverse shear. The nature of crack propagation depends strongly on the material of the web of the beam. For example, in type D16 material in which cracks can grow by the shear mechanism in a wide range of the values of SIF, the type C and D cracks propagate linearly. The predicted rate of their growth is considerably (15–60 times) higher than the rate of growth of opening cracks. This is caused both by a lower-resistance of the material to propagation of fatigue cracks by the shear mechanism and by adding up all the values of k_II in the opposite loading half cycles. However, if the wall is made of V95-type material in which straight growth of shear cracks takes place only in pure shear conditions the type C and D cracks rotate during growth and degenerate to a separation crack propagating at a considerably low rate.Translated from Fiziko-khimicheskaya Mekhanika Materialov, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 67–72, May–June, 1991.     

Crack propagation in cylindrical shells

Results of a theoretical study of dynamic steady crack propagation in a circular cylindrical shell are presented. Equations of thin circular cylindrical shells are utilized for theoretical investigation. The semi-analytic crack tip stress solutions to shell equations are obtained by the perturbation method as well as an iterative method. Plots of internal stresses in the shell with a stationary as well as a steadily running crack are presented. These results are compared with those related to flat plates. It is concluded that the shell curvature has a pronounced effect on increasing the values of crack tip stresses. It would also qualitatively affect the variation of stress field around the crack tip. In some cases, the curvature action is shown to be even more pronounced than the inertia effects.