Fiber fracture: An overview

Abstract

This chapter presents the salient features of the fracture process in different types of fibers: polymeric, metallic, and ceramic. Fracture in fibers, as in bulk materials, initiates at some flaw(s), internal or on the surface. In general, because of the high surface-to-volume ratio of fibers, the incidence of a surface flaw leading to fracture is greater in fibers than in bulk materials. A near-surface flaw such as a microvoid or an inclusion is responsible for the initiation of fracture in fibers. In polymeric fibers, the fundamental processes leading to failure are chain scission and/or chain sliding or a combination. The service environment can be a major determining factor in the failure process of fibers. The surface condition and segregation of inclusions are the two factors that limit the strength of metallic filaments. Ceramic and silica-based fibers including optical glass fiber also have the same crack-initiating flaws as do polymeric and metallic fibers.