Abstract
This paper examines the fracture behaviour of carbon-fibre-reinforced polyethersulphone (PES) and compares the results with carbon-fibre-reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Tests were carried out over a range of temperatures between −60 and +100°C using the double cantilever beam geometry, and cracks were sent both parallel to the individual laminates (interlaminar) and perpendicular to the laminates (intralaminar). Although the total interlaminar toughness of the PES composite was lower than the PEEK-based material, the crack propagation was stable independent of the testing temperature, whereas the PEEK composite showed a change to unstable fracture at low temperatures. Experiments on the bulk PES polymer reinforced the link between the ductility of the matrix and the stability of cracking of the composite. The weaker fibre/matrix bond for the PES composite, shown by the interlaminar shear strength results, reduced the amount of matrix deformation but aided the composite crack stability. Fibre/matrix debonding was also responsible for a large increase in intralaminar toughness with crack length which eventually passed that of the PEEK material.
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