Paper number 1321

FAILURE MODE TRANSITION IN FIBER REINFORCED COMPOSITES UNDER DYNAMIC MULTIAXIAL COMPRESSION

Kenji Oguni and G. Ravichandran

Graduate Aeronautical Laboratories, Mail Code: 105-50
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, California 91125, USA

Summary Results for an unidirectionally reinforced polymer composite, E-glass/vinylester, loaded in the fiber direction using a servo-hydraulic material testing system for low strain rates and a Kolsky (split Hopkinson) pressure bar for high strain rates, up to 3000 s-1 are presented. The results indicate that the compressive strength of the composite increases with increasing levels of confinement and increasing strain rates. Post-test optical and scanning electron microscopy is used to identify the failure modes. The failure mode that is observed in unconfined specimen is axial splitting followed by fiber kink band formation. At high levels of confinement, the failure mode transitions from axial splitting to kink band formation and fiber failure.
Keywords multiaxial compression, E-glass/vinylester, high-strain-rate, Kolsky (split Hopkinson) bar, axial splitting, kink banding, compressive strength, failure mode transition.

Theme : Industrial Applications ; Marine Applications

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