Publications

Interface delamination fracture toughness experiments at various loading rates

Lu, Wei-Yang L.; Antoun, Bonnie R.; Brown, Arthur B.; Chen, Weinong; Song, Bo

Mode-I and Mode-ll fracture experiments of composites under high loading rates are presented. In the standard double cantilever beam (DCB) configuration, specimens are loaded with constant speed of 2.5 m/s (100 in/s) on a customized high-rate MTS system. Alternative high rate experiments are also performed on a modified split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). One of the configurations for the characterization of dynamic Mode-I interfacial delamination is to place a wedge-loaded compact-tension (WLCT) specimen in the test section. Pulse-shaping techniques are employed to control the profiles of the loading pulses such that the crack tip is loaded at constant loading rates. Pulse shaping also avoids the excitation of resonance, thus avoiding inertia induced forces mixed with material strength in the data. To create Mode-ll fracture conditions, an (ENF) three-point bending specimen is employed in the gage section of the modified SHPB. © 2008 Society for Experimental Mechanics Inc.