Compressive failure of fiber reinforced polymer composites – A fractographic study of the compression failure modes

Abstract

The fractographic aspects of compression failures remain inadequately explored, mainly due to the damages that the compressive load promotes on the fracture surfaces, which difficult the identification of fracture aspects. In addition, despite the large quantity of studies on the literature, there is no consensus concerning the existing compressive failure modes. Aiming to contribute in this research field, this paper has the objective of proposing a novel classification for the compressive failure modes of fiber reinforced polymer composites. The classification proposed here was based on an extensive literature review as well as in microscopic investigations performed on different composite laminates via scanning electron microscopy. It can be said that this classification has a phenomenological nature, since the failure modes were grouped according to the dominant characteristic. Furthermore, the sequence of events that lead to failure was described for each failure mode. This approach eases its application and allows its use for different types fiber composites, besides allowing the investigation of failed composite structures by means of post-mortem analyses. Finally, the wedge splitting failure mode was identified for the first time on fiber reinforced polymer composites.