Title: Analysis of stable crack growth in GRFP

Authors: Hiroomi Homma, Khoji Mitsubayashi

Addresses: Toyohashi University of Technology, Department of Energy Engineering, 1-1 Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi 440, Japan. ' Nippondenso Co. Ltd., 1-1 Shouwa-cho, Kariya 448, Japan

Abstract: Stable crack growrh is examined in an analytical way to establish a rest method to evaluate the fracture toughness of FRP. The mechanism of stable crack growth is considered from observations of the vicinity of the crack lip. There is always a damage zone in which debonding between the fibres and the matrix occurs ahead of the crack tip. Crack growth occurs by breaking the fibres at the crack tip. Stress analysis is carried out to find out how much stress is applied to the fibres in the damage zone. A line spring model is used to express the mechanical behaviour of the fibres in the damage zone and infinitesimal dislocation distribution theory is used in the numerical stress analysis. It is concluded that stable crack growth in a fracture toughness test FRP is inherently different from that in metallic materials induced by plastic deformation near the crack tip: that it results from the stress relaxation by debonding between the fibre, and the matrix, and that the stress intensity at the onset instability in the fracture toughness test is the material property.

Keywords: cracks; stable crack growth; crack tip; damage zone; debonding; fracture toughness; GFRP; plastic deformation; glass fibre reinforced plastic; stress analysis; dislocation distribution theory.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMPT.1989.036748

International Journal of Materials and Product Technology, 1989 Vol.4 No.2, pp.104 - 114

Published online: 06 Nov 2010 *

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