Numerical Simulations and Experimental Investigations on Quasi-Static and Cyclic Mixed Mode Delamination of Multidirectional CFRP Laminates

Abstract

The structural applications of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) composites are gradually expanding in aerospace industry as a result of their outstanding mechanical properties such as high stiffness to weight ratio and fatigue resistance. With the increasing application, the need for understanding their mechanical behaviour and failure mechanisms also rises. Interfacial cracking between layers or delamination is one of the most common failure types in laminated fibre-reinforced composites due to their relatively weak inter-laminar strengths. Typically, delamination failures initiate and propagate under mixed mode effect of normal and shear stresses. Therefore, mixed mode delamination failure in fibrous composites has been one of the major issues being studied extensively in recent years. In this scope, the development of predictive, reliable and robust numerical and experimental analysis tools for quasi-static or cyclic mixed mode delamination of CFRPs is the major focus of this work. Quasi-static and cyclic mixed mode delamination failure in multidirectional CFRP laminates are analyzed using fracture experiments and finite element (FE) simulations.