Abstract
A criterion for crack initiation in unidirectional composite materials is presented. It includes two assumptions: 1. (1) crack initiation occurs in the direction of fibers; 2. (2) rapid crack growth occurs when the energy release rate reaches a critical value, the resistance to crack growth in the direction of fibers. Then a model of energy release rate for crack growth in unidirectional composites is presented. The model is applied to characterize the fracture of off-axis, unidirectional glass-epoxy and graphite-epoxy composites. The results indicate that the loads corresponding to crack growth predicted by the present model agree well with the experimental results.
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