Abstract
The fracture toughness of short-glass-fibre-reinforced epoxy composites was studied. Different grades of epoxies of different moduli and strengths were employed to study the influence of the matrix properties on the fracture toughness. Self-similar crack propagation does not occur in these materials and the propagation of fracture is accompanied by fibre pull-out and debonding in the adjacent region. An effective crack length was estimated using a compliance-matching procedure so that the crack growth resistance could be calculated and an R curve approach could be applied for the analysis. The fracture toughness of these materials was found to depend on the initial crack length. Further, the fracture toughness of short-fibre composites is significantly influenced by the modulus and strength of the matrix material. There is an optimum combination of the two which produces the highest value of fracture toughness.
Published Version
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