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Toughening mechanisms in rubber‐modified glass fiber/unsaturated polyester composites
Author(s) -
Sjögren B. A.,
Berglund L. A.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
polymer composites
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.577
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1548-0569
pISSN - 0272-8397
DOI - 10.1002/pc.10394
Subject(s) - materials science , composite material , natural rubber , cracking , transverse plane , composite number , toughening , elastomer , glass fiber , toughness , structural engineering , engineering
An important case of composite failure is the leakage of pipes and pressure vessels subjected to internal pressure. The primary damage mechanism leading to leakage is transverse cracking parallel to the fibers. Effects of matrix toughening on transverse cracking strains were therefore investigated for GF/UP cross‐ply laminates with matrices of different liquid rubber content. The strain to the first transverse crack was increased from 0.2 to 0.6% with 10 wt% rubber. Debonding occurred at similar strains in GF/UP and GF/UP‐rubber. However, whereas debonding was almost simultaneous with transverse cracking in GF/UP, gradual growth of debonds to short cracks took place initially in GF/UP‐rubber. This was followed by slow extension of short cracks to a critical flaw size corresponding to unstable growth.