Open AccessInfluence of reinforcement morphology on the mechanical properties of short-fiber composites
Author(s) -
Y.T. Zhu,
James A. Valdez,
Ning Shi,
Manuel L. Lovato,
M.G. Stout,
Shaofeng Zhou,
W.R. Blumenthal,
Terry C. Lowe
Publication year - 1997
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/564175
Subject(s) - composite material , materials science , breakage , fiber , composite number , fiber pull out , reinforcement , stress (linguistics) , matrix (chemical analysis) , limiting , composite laminates , mechanical engineering , engineering , linguistics , philosophy
A major problem of short-fiber composites is that the interfaces between the fiber and matrix become a limiting factor in improving mechanical properties such as strength. For a short fiber, a strong interface is desired to effectively transfer load from matrix to fiber, thus reducing the ineffective fiber length. However, a strong interface will make it difficult to relieve fiber stress concentration in front of an approaching crack. Stress concentrations result in fiber breakage. The authors report in this paper an innovative approach to overcome this problem: reinforcement morphology design. Short-fibers with enlarged ends are processed and used to reinforce a polyester matrix. The initial results show that the bone-shaped short-fibers produce a composite with significantly higher strength than can be attained with conventional short, straight fibers