Title: Fracture behaviour of carbon nanotube and carbon fibre-reinforced, epoxy-matrix hybrid composite
Authors: K. Chandra Shekar; N. Krishna Kanth; P.K. Subramanian; Anil Kumar; B. Anjaneya Prasad; N. Eswara Prasad
Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vignan Institute of Technology and Science, Deshmukhi, Hyderabad-508284, India ' Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Technology, Gandipet, Hyderabad-500075, India ' Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Technology, Gandipet, Hyderabad-500075, India ' Advanced systems Laboratory, DRDO, Hyderabad-500058, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, JNTUH College of Engineering, JNTUH, Hyderabad-500085, India ' Regional Centre for Military Airworthiness (Materials), CEMILAC, DRDO, PO Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad – 500 058, India
Abstract: In the present study, fracture resistance of the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon fibre-reinforced, epoxy-matrix hybrid composite has been evaluated and reported. Load-displacement data with varying notch lengths (a/W ratio) were used to evaluate the fracture resistance in terms of KIc, JIc, Jc and R-curve, variation of JR with δ/δc, in two orthogonal directions. It has been concluded that the resistance to fracture is significantly greater in the longitudinal orientation of fibres than in the transverse orientation; more pertinently in case of all the three J-based parameters. Topological studies have also been conducted to understand the fracture behaviour.
Keywords: polymer matrix composites; carbon nanotubes; CNTs; fracture toughness; fractography; J-integral; R-curve tests; nanotechnology; carbon fibre reinforced composites; CFRC; epoxy-matrix composites; hybrid composites; load displacement; notch lengths.
DOI: 10.1504/IJMPT.2015.070075
International Journal of Materials and Product Technology, 2015 Vol.51 No.1, pp.1 - 16
Received: 20 Jul 2013
Accepted: 31 Oct 2014
Published online: 26 Jun 2015 *