Abstract
Abstract— Interlaminar mechanical properties of composite materials such as shear strength and fracture toughness depend on the level of fibre‐matrix adhesion which has to be optimised according to the end‐use of the composite. Various surface treatments of fibres are used for this purpose. Double cantilever beam (DCB) tests are commonly used for estimating the interlaminar fracture toughness in Mode I. It is shown in this work that this parameter can be conveniently determined using a simpler technique involving a 90° flexible‐to‐rigid substrate peel test. The values of GIc determined by DCB and 90° peel tests are comparable within acceptable experimental error margins. These two alternative techniques are used for assessing the effectiveness of a novel surface engineering process for enhanced adhesion of ultra‐high modulus polyethylene (UHMPE) fibres to an epoxy matrix.
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